Still Dating
by shockandlock
Summary: Modern!AU Marco and Ace really want to make this relationship work, but who says love doesn't come with a few bumps and cracks along the way? A series of oneshots depicting the events after "Still Need a Date?" Finding Closure- The road rumbled underneath Garp's car, and it didn't take long for them- or at least it seemed that way- to reach their destination: Impel Down prison.
1. Second First Date

**A/N: Okay! First oneshot. These will probably be published all together in a collection. Any smut will be uploaded separately. Man, the part near the end (not the bonus) was really nice to write, so I hope you guys think it's cute.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Second First Date**

Marco stared at his self in the mirror, satisfied with his appearance. He had dressed up in another suit, perfect for a dinner date. He left the jacket unbuttoned, exposing the end of his new tie: once again light blue, but this time displaying his family's mark on its end. This was his second chance with Ace and he wasn't going to waste it.

Suddenly, the door of his room burst open. "Yo, Marco!" Thatch yelled as he entered the blond's room. Seeing his brother's cleaned up form, he grinned. "Goin' somewhere, bro?"

"None of your business, Thatch," he sighed, gathering his things in pockets. "Now leave."

"What? C'mon, tell me! You look all fancy-fancy! Wait, don't tell me..." The brunet pushed his face in close. "You have a date!"

Considering his state of dress, Marco was not surprised that his (slow) brother figured it out. He rolled his eyes. He left his room, brunet following.

"What was that kid's name again? Trace?"

"His name is _Ace_, yoi!" the blond snapped slightly. "Gah!" He covered his mouth, but it was too late.

"Oh, right... He was _that _guy. Wasn't he? You never introduced me!" Thatch laughed. "Oh well. Use protection."

"Oi. Unlike you, I don't think about my dick 24/7. This is only our second date."

"Yeah, yeah. There are some condoms in the drawer if you need any."

With an intense glare at his brother, the blond opened the front door and stepped outside. "Leaving now." But just when he was about to close the door behind him, he felt something hit the back of his head. Slowly he turned and looked on the ground where it landed. It was a condom. Ignoring its presence, he slammed the door shut (admittedly harder than he would have if _that_ wasn't thrown at him).

Climbing in his car, he buckled his seatbelt. "Okay," he said to himself. "I have to get _those_ first, then I'll pick up Ace." He turned the key to start the engine and drove off, hopes high for the rest of the evening.

* * *

"Did you really have to pick out my clothes?" Ace whined as Sabo adjusted his white tie. "We're only going to the Baratie."

"Yeah, but you're going on a date," the blond huffed. "I know the restaurant belongs to Sanji's family, but you're trying to impress _Marco._ Aren't you? You're _not_ leaving this house in a t-shirt and shorts."

"I guess you have a point," the raven haired sighed, staring at his reflection in the mirror. "Hey, I look pretty good!"

"Yeah. No thanks to yourself." Sabo headed towards the door. "I'm going to start on dinner for Lu and me. You can wait up here. I don't want you eating any of the ingredients."

"Yeah, yeah." And with that, the middle brother headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Ace bounced on his bed in anticipation. _'Man, I wonder when Marco's going to get here. We can finally have a normal date!_' He smiled happily. _'Not that the prom was too bad. It sucks that I got drunk though. Marco was really nice about it.' _The teen blushed suddenly, remembering the events of the night. _'I wonder if he's going to use_ that _line again. The waiting is killing me!'_ he screamed internally.

But just when Ace was about to shoot the model a text (they had exchanged numbers after the prom night fiasco), he heard the loud ring of the doorbell. "That's him! That's Marco!"

* * *

Marco stood in front of Ace's door, waiting anxiously after ringing the doorbell. _'I hope he likes these,'_ he thought, shifting the bouquet of roses in behind his back. _'He doesn't seem like a flower kind of guy, but once he sees the colors...'_

The door opened suddenly, stopping his thoughts. "You're here to pick up Ace. Right?" Marco recognized him as Sabo, the middle brother of Ace's family.

"Is he ready, yoi?" the model asked, smiling politely.

Sabo nodded. "Yeah. He's waiting upstairs, but he'll probably be down-"

"I'm here! I'm here!" an unmistakable voice called. Marco directed his attention to the stairs inside where he saw Ace rushing down. "Hi, Marco!" the teen smiled.

Marco felt his cheeks flush slightly. The raven-haired cleaned up very well. His white tie stood out from the black dress short he wore, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "You look _very _nice," Marco greeted charmingly.

Ace blushed back at him. "Th-Thanks. You look nice too!" he stammered. "Should we go now?"

"Wait a second, yoi," the model said, moving the flowers from behind his back. "These are for you."

The boy's eyes widened when he saw the bouquet. It was made up of warm colored roses. The reds, oranges, and yellows combined to look like a flame. "Wow! I'm not much for flowers, but this looks really cool! How did you know?" He took the flowers gratefully.

Marco smiled. "You had fire patterns on your phone and wallet."

Ace turned to his brother. "Hey, Sabo. Can you put these in the some water?"

"Sure," he replied, rolling his eyes and taking the bouquet. He shoved Ace out the door with his free hand. "Have fun, you two!" he chimed, shutting the door behind them.

Marco took his hand. "Let's have a good date, yoi."

Ace nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

* * *

"Are you sure? I can pay for myself." Before Marco had even opened his menu, Ace had insisted on splitting the bill.

The two were now sitting in a private room at the Baratie, waiting for their server. The room was well furnished. The tablecloth was perfectly white atop the table in the center. The wood of the chairs were carved more beautifully than those in the normal room.

"I'm paying, yoi. It's common courtesy since _I _was the one who asked you here." He smiled at his date. "If Garp being your grandfather says anything, then I'd bet you have a big appetite."

It was embarrassing that Marco already knew his eating habits, he thanked the man nonetheless. "You're right about that," he laughed sheepishly.

The door to the room opened suddenly, sending a tiny spark of shock through Ace. He had never used one of the private rooms before, so he wasn't used to the waiter entering without warning. His shock soon vanished when he saw the waiter. "Oh. Hey, Sanji," he greeted. "Not working in the kitchen tonight?"

Marco recognized the man's haircut and ..._unique_ eyebrow from the night of prom. If he remembered correctly, this was one of Luffy's friends. _'He helped us out. Didn't he?'_

"No," he sighed. "I was tweaking with a recipe a few days ago, and now the geezer won't let me back in the kitchen."

"That sucks."

"Well it doesn't suck if I don't have to keep up with your stupid appetite." He turned to Marco. "I assume you're paying?"

"Oi!"

"I mean he runs away pretty much every time so..."

"Sanji!"

Marco raised an eyebrow at him. "You eat and run?"

Ace didn't have to answer, for the blush on his face screamed 'yes'.

The laugh that came out of Marco's mouth made Ace's heart beat.

Sanji ended up having to get them an extra table for Ace's food. The two of them both requested water as their drink. Marco ordered the steak and Ace ordered at least one of every entrée. "Sorry you have to pay for so much," he apologized after Sanji left with their order.

"No. It's fine. This gives us more time to talk."

Ace nodded. "I guess it does."

"So, you dine and dash a lot?" the blond asked.

Ace gave another sheepish laugh. "It became a bad habit since we did it more as kids. It just never really went away. But Luffy's friends with Sanji, so that pretty much saves our asses."

This confused Marco slightly. "Why would it?"

"You didn't know? Sanji is the owner's son."

Marco must have looked genuinely surprised since Ace started laughing. "I didn't know Zeff had a son."

"You know the old guy?" Ace questioned. "Adopted too, by the way," he added.

"Same way I know Garp," the blond replied. "Pops."

"You never really told me about that. How _did_ you meet my gramps?"

He had to think for a second before finally answering. "He comes over for drinks sometimes. Apparently, they like to talk about the 'old days.'"

"And the eating thing?"

"All of the rice crackers and donuts: gone."

"I figured as much," Ace sighed.

The two ended up talking the entire time while waiting for their order. They listened intently on what the other had to say, thankful for the privacy of the room. There would be no interruptions, unlike the night of Ace's prom. Words flowed freely from their mouths, listing hobbies and favorites. Each took mental note of what the other had to say, smiling when they spoke.

Quite a while later, the door opened once again, Sanji wheeling in a cart of food. "Hey, guys," he said, piling plates atop the extra table.

"You're not gonna poison me. Are ya?" Ace joked as Marco's food was set in front of him.

"Nah," the young cook replied. "We're actually getting paid this time, so..."

"Gee, thanks." He noticed Marco trying to hold in another laugh and he gave the man a playful glare.

"Whatever, man. Enjoy your meal!"

Marco had already cut into his steak, when he noticed Ace just sitting there, eyeing his stack of plates. He set down his fork and knife. "Something wrong?" the blond asked.

"Er- It's just that..." the younger stammered. "Uh- Maybe I'm not as hungry as I thought! So-"

He was abruptly cut off by his growling stomach.

Marco smiled reassuringly. "Go ahead and eat, Ace. You don't have to be embarrassed."

At this, the boy's eyes shined. "Thanks, Marco!" he cheered. "All my past dates never really liked it when I ate in front of them."

"Well, I'm not your past dates. I don't mind."

It was a bit strange seeing Ace inhale all the food he had. He couldn't judge though. Marco's family had their own strange table mannerisms. He was just glad that his date was so happy.

When they were finished, Ace leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "That was good. Thanks again, Marco!" he grinned as the blond signed off on the bill.

"You can still move. Right?" Marco chuckled. He stood offering his hand to Ace. "We have to go."

"Huh?" The teen's eyes briefly flashed with disappointment. "Oh yeah. Though he knew he didn't need help standing, he took his date's hand anyways.

Saying goodbye to Sanji, who was still busy waiting tables, the two left the restaurant. "I liked that," Ace chimed, trying to break the silence in the car as Marco pulled away from the Baratie. "We've never used the private rooms before, but it's really fun scaring the other customers while we eat."

Marco hummed slightly, trying to concentrate on driving. This left Ace panicked. _'Maybe he didn't enjoy himself?_' He was so consumed in his thoughts, that it took him a while to realize that- "This isn't the way to my house!"

"Sorry," the man apologized, unable to hold back a smile. "I know this looks bad, but I wanted to show you something, yoi."

"Eh? But that means-"

"Yeah. Our date isn't over yet."

Ace felt like cheering. He was curious as to what the man wanted to show him, but right now, it was enough just being near him. "Should I close my eyes to surprise myself?"

"If you'd like," Marco laughed.

He didn't open them until he felt the engine turn off. The first thing he noticed was that it was dark out. The second thing he noticed was that Marco had already opened his car door, once again offering a hand.

The last thing he noticed was the beauty surrounding him. The fragrant smell of flowers wafted all around. He could see all the stars, shining up above. It was absolutely breathtaking. "Wow, Marco! This is... I just..."

Ace was busy grinning up at the stars and taking in the air, but Marco was distracted. He just couldn't take his eyes off of him. "You like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" Ace exclaimed.

"I knew you would," the blond smiled. "After what you told me at prom, I knew I needed to show you this. _This_ is freedom, Ace."

"Really? So this is what _true_ freedom feels like..." He stopped. "But there's something missing..."

"What?!" Something missing? _'What did I forget?_' the blond panicked.

Without warning, he was tackled to the ground, back hitting the soft grass. "Hey!"

"Gotcha, Marco!" Ace laughed, tangling himself in his date's arms. "Watch the stars with me!"

"Alright, alright!" He adjusted his grip around the teen, staring up at the magnificent night sky. It was so nice, so peaceful. He didn't even care that his clothes would get dirty. Having Ace's warmth pressed against him was just too amazing. "Hey, Ace," he whispered suddenly. "May I kiss you?"

The boy didn't respond. Thinking that his date was too shocked to answer, Marco turned to look only to find Ace in a state of peaceful rest. He chuckled. "You have to stop doing this. I might just fall in love with you." He pulled himself off of Ace and lifted him off the ground. "I'll bring you home."

* * *

Bonus:

"How was your date, son?"

"It was great, Pops. We're going to the park tomorrow as well."

"It's nice to see you so happy. He's Garp's grandson, so I bet you won't have the easiest time. Gurarara!"

"I have to try. Don't I? I think this could really work."

"Well, if that's what you want. Oh, and by the way, son. Why was there a condom on the front steps?"

"..."

* * *

**So I hope you guys enjoyed that!**

**Please review and remember to vote on the poll for next week! I won't be able to edit the oneshots properly if I don't know which one you guys want. Thank you!**


	2. Kiss Me

**A/N: So this would've been up earlier if I was not behind on editing, but school started back up, so I have less time for this stuff. Good thing I have a long weekend. okay and one quick thing, these are not in chronological order.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

**Kiss Me**

He held the piece of paper and twirled it between his fingers. It was strange that Ace would hand him something so nice and elegant looking. He knew what it was right away, considering the time of year, but he felt it would be polite to ask.

"What's this, yoi?"

His boyfriend bounced on his heels and grinned at him. "Guess! Guess!" he cheered. "Wait no. I'll tell you!" He snatched the envelope out of Marco's hands and opened it up. "It's an invitation to my graduation!" He stopped and giggled. "That rhymed!"

Marco loved that his boyfriend was so excited. With summer right around the corner, the two would have much more time to spend together. Only there was one problem.

"So you're coming. Right?"

He didn't want to upset Ace, but someone had to break the news to him. "Ace," he started, taking the teen's hands in his own, "I'm really happy for you, yoi." And he truly was. Even though he had known Ace for a minuscule fraction of his high school career, he was happy to see the teen reach such a milestone. Unfortunately, his happiness was overshadowed by his true feelings.

Ace frowned. He had immediately sensed something wrong. He expected his lover to say yes immediately. "Marco? You're not hiding something from me. Are you?"

The blond sighed. They had only been together a few months, but Ace easily saw right through him. "I'm sorry, Ace."

"What are you talking about?" This didn't sound good.

He stared into Ace's eyes, seeing the worry held in them. "I'm going to tell this to you straight," he said. "I can't go to your graduation."

Ace's eyes widened in shock. "What?!" he exclaimed. "Why not?"

"I have a big shoot that day for summer clothing," Marco explained, hoping that Ace would understand. "My hands are tied. We have to get the spread ready for the start of summer."

"But, Marco-" the teen began to whine. He wanted nothing more than for Marco to be there smiling proudly as he walked across the stage.

"No, Ace." the blond responded with a firm tone. "You know work is important to me."

"Then your work is more important to you than _I_ am?!" Ace burst out angrily. He stopped, realizing how rude and selfish he sounded. "Sorry," he muttered. "That was out of line."

Marco didn't know what to say. He knew that Ace would get upset, but he didn't realize that the boy would be angry at him. "It's fine," he reassured, though he could see that the anger in the teen's eyes had not completely vanished.

"No," the teen continued. "I need to be alone." With that, he grabbed his things and stormed out, leaving the invitation behind.

"Geez," Marco groaned. "What am I going to do with you, yoi?"

* * *

Marco held a hand up to the side of his head. He just couldn't concentrate properly on the shoot. Ace hadn't responded to any of his texts or calls over the past week, and it was bothering him to no end. The boy sure was stubborn.

Hanging a towel around his neck, he sighed. The models were currently on break, but the blond couldn't find the heart to continue working. He hadn't even changed his clothes yet, still wearing the gray button-up. Marco didn't understand how someone he had been dating for only about two months could make him feel this way.

Suddenly, someone knocked on his door. "Come in," he answered.

"Hey, Birdy Boy!" the man greeted.

"What are you doing here, Thatch?"

"Geez. Can't a man visit his own brother at work?" he laughed, running his hands over his pompadour. "So how ya doin'?"

"I'm fine, yoi."

Thatch frowned. "Obviously not."

Marco groaned. His brother was not helping his headache. "Why are you really here?" he asked.

The brunet grinned. "Oh right. I knew my favorite brother-"

The model snorted.

"- was feeling stressed, so I decided to come and surprise you!" He jumped onto the couch in the back. "So, what's bugging you?"

Even though he was annoyed at his brother, he might as well get it off his chest. The brunet was stubborn and would definitely not leave until Marco talked to him. "Ace is... upset," he started.

"Oh yeah," Thatch said. "His graduation is today. Right?"

"How did you know that?"

"Probably 'cause you left the invitation was left on the table," he shrugged. "So why are you _here_ instead of _there_?"

Turning and glaring at him, Marco growled, "Why do you think? I don't have the time!"

"Geez. Talk about your ruffled feathers," the younger muttered. "You know what _I _think?" he asked, speaking audibly this time. "I think that's exactly what your problem is."

The blond stopped his silent fuming and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" Thatch wasn't exactly the type to notice these things, so Marco was intrigued to say the least.

His brother gave him a confused look. "You really don't get it? And you call _me_ an idiot. Here." He jumped up from the couch and stretched his arms above his head. "Lemme do you a solid." The mischievous grin he gave as he left the room made Marco's stomach sink.

Cue loud crashes in the distance followed by pissed-off yelling and cursing.

_'What did that idiot even do?'__  
_  
"Oopsie," Thatch sang, poking his head back into the room. "Looks like it'll take a few hours to get _all _of that set back up. Guess you might as well take care of that _thing_ that's bothering you." He winked and vanished soon afterwards, presumably running from security.

"You're a such dumbass," he sighed knowing that Thatch couldn't hear him, "but thank you." Immediately placing his destination in mind, Marco threw on a pair of sunglasses and left as quickly as he could.

* * *

Ace fidgeted in his seat nervously. He hadn't told either Sabo or Luffy about his situation, but Sabo probably figured it out anyways. Ace honestly tried to convince his self that it was no big deal, but he was still heartbroken over the matter. He hated that he got mad at Marco, and now he doubted that the blond even wanted to see him after he had insulted his values. They had only been dating for about two months, so why did he expect the man to drop work for him? He was a celebrity, for god's sake!

It's not like there was anything he could do about it now. He hadn't answered any of the man's texts or calls since that day.

His row was called and his heart pounded erratically. It wasn't that he was nervous about graduating (which he _was_), but rather that he would prefer if Marco were here for him. This wasn't like him at all! He would probably be jumping for joy at the thought of graduating if it wasn't for _that_. He really wished Marco were here. He got up from the cold metal of the collapsible seat, but he couldn't feel his legs as his row proceeded next to the stage.

Ace stood, waiting at the edge of the stage. All that was left was to accept his diploma and be done with it. There was no use waiting for Marco to show up. He barely heard his name being called, but he heard the expected cheer from where Luffy was sitting.

And when he turned to look, he wasn't expecting what he saw. Luffy was there with his friends (the ones who weren't also graduating), but there was Marco right next to him, smiling and waving. The more he stared, the more he realized that the room seemed empty. In that moment, he only saw Marco.

His heart soared. The sight was unbelievable. Marco was supposed to be at his shoot, yet here was Ace wanted to cry tears of joy, but instead he put on the biggest grin he could muster and walked across the stage.

* * *

Surprisingly, Marco had arrived just in time to see Ace. All the parking spaces were full, so he had to sprint the rest of the way. Once at the entrance of the school, he snuck in easily, despite his pathetic excuse for a disguise. He made his way to where he knew the teen would see him: next to Luffy. Marco was not one to cheer, so he knew that Ace would look over once he heard his brother.

And when he did look over, everything became clear. Thatch hadn't been straightforward with him, but the idiot was right.

Ace looked straight at him and gave the one of the biggest smiles Marco had ever seen. The teen was practically shining; burning bright like a flame. His surroundings faded around him. In that moment, he only saw Ace. "So that's it," he whispered to himself as the teen walked across the stage. "There's my answer."

* * *

"Marco!" Ace called happily, bouncing forward to embrace the man. He buried his face in his chest and inhaled his scent. He could clearly smell the cologne Marco wore during photo shoots, indicating that the man had come from work. "I'm so happy that you're here! I can't believe it!"

"I can't believe it either, yoi," Marco smiled. "I'm so proud of you, Ace."

"What happened to your shoot? I know that you're work is important and all, but you really didn't have to come if you were busy. I mean we've only been dating for two months and all, so-"

Suddenly, the blond pulled away. "Ace..."

"Marco?" Ace's eyes immediately filled with worry. "Did I say something wrong?"

Seeing the teen's worry, Marco reached up and caressed his cheek. "Kiss me."

Ace's cheeks flushed a vibrant red immediately after hearing the command. "W-what?!" he stammered. It's not like they hadn't kissed before, but the demand was just overwhelming. Before he could say anything else, Marco had leaned forward and captured his lips.

It was absolutely amazing. Ace couldn't help but kiss back. The kiss just seemed so right. There was no intimacy or tongue, but neither of them cared. They melted in each other's arms, everything around them fading away.

Marco ran out of breath first, pulling away to see a still blushing Ace. "What's this all about, Marco?" he asked, panting a bit from the kiss.

The model smiled warmly. "The only people I have ever dropped work for are my family. And then you came along, yoi." He pulled Ace close once again. "I just couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Oh. Me?" The raven haired rubbed the back his head sheepishly. "I'm not really sure what that means."

"It means that I love you."

Ace's heart almost stopped. "C-come again?" He couldn't believe what he just heard. But we've only been together for a few months!"

"I'm not certain about everything yet, but I love you. I just feel that I belong with you, yoi." Marco relaxed his grip around the teen. "I understand if I'm moving too fast. I can give you some space if-"

"No!" Ace exclaimed, staring straight into Marco's eyes. "It's fine because I love you too!"

Marco's eyes lit up.

"I realized it when I saw you waving to me." His gaze softened. "Everything disappeared around me and I felt so warm... It just felt so right."

"I guess we're the same in that way, yoi," Marco chuckled. "That's exactly what happened to me."

Hearing this, Ace started laughing. "Maybe I'm rubbing off on you then!"

The blond pulled away and messed with the boy's hair. "In your dreams, brat," he teased. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time and smiled. "I still have a few hours before I have to head back, so I'll go with you guys to lunch."

"That's great, Marco!" Ace cheered as he took the man's hand and led him towards his friends.

"Neh, Marco?"

"Yes, Ace?"

"I'm glad we fell in love together."

"Me too, yoi."

* * *

Bonus:  
  
"As much as I hate to say it, I owe you for earlier."

"See, Birdy Boy? I knew a little break would do you some good!"

"However..."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"You realize you have to pay for what you broke at the studio. Right?"

"Shit."

* * *

**Please review and leave any suggestions/ideas!**

**Again, poll up, please vote. btw, after next week's i might start offering the smut.**


	3. Stories

**A/N: Are you guys ready for some angst (I guess)? Sorry for all the ****ellipses. I mean, I don't even remember where this one came from. I was just trying to come up with a story for the tattoo (even thought it's never explicitly stated in the story), and then _drama._ But there's kind of some shitty transitioning.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"So _this_ is what you looked like when you were younger."

"Uh-huh. Look there! Lu and Sabo too!"

"You don't look much different, yoi. Neither does Luffy."

"Hey! Are you trying to say that I look like a kid?"

"Well, I'm trying to say that you're still cute."

"Neh, Marco. I'm handsome. Handsome and sexy!"

"Just keep telling yourself that."

"Meanie."

Ace leaned his head on Marco's shoulder as the man traced his fingers over old photographs. They were relaxing on the couch in Ace's house, looking through the families' albums. The teen recalled the memories from them in his mind, eagerly (or unenthusiastically) explaining each one.

"And who are they?" the model asked, pointing to a group photo. He could clearly see the three smiling brothers, but there were also a bunch of strangely dressed men in it and one burly... woman?

The teen smiled fondly. "That's Dadan with her mountain bandits!"

"Mountain bandits?" Marco was sure that he misheard.

"They raised us!"

He felt his eye twitch. _'I knew Garp was crazy, but that's just too much to believe!'_

"She's a real big bitch on the outside," the teen started, "but on the inside she's a huge softie!"

"Is that so?" Marco commented. _'That's quite a way to talk about the woman who raised you,'_ he thought offhandedly. "That means you didn't always live in this city, yoi."

"Yep," Ace replied with a pop. "We moved here a little after I turned twelve. We were homeschooled before then. By Makino."

"Makino?"

He reached over and pointed at a lady in another picture. She had green hair and was wearing a bright yellow bandanna on her head. "That's her. She ran a small bar in the village. She taught us our manners and stuff too."

"I see those lessons went to waste."

Ace stuck his tongue out at him childishly.

"I rest my case, yoi," Marco chuckled, flipping the page."Why are you guys all bandaged up in this one?"

In the photograph, the three brothers were standing next to Garp, who was smiling rather proudly. They, on the other hand, looked quite dizzy and bruised.

"Oh that," Ace's bright expression deflated. "That's us after one of Gramps's 'training sessions'," he grumbled, raising his hands to make air quotes.

"Care to elaborate on these 'training sessions?'"

"Whenever the shitty geezer would come and visit, he'd throw us around and beat us up so we could become strong. It was brutal."

"That's certainly one way to raise a child."

"Well, it was a bunch of bullcrap if you ask me. The three of us were fine training by hunting in the woods and stuff."

"What about these ones?" Marco pointed to a series of photographs that depicted the boys with some sake cups. In a few of the pictures he could see a thumb peeking out from the edge. "Aren't those sake cups?"

Ace's grin grew. "That's the day the Sabo, Lu, and I became brothers! We stole the camera just to take those pictures."

"Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "So it wasn't official adoption. You just drank to it. How old were you again? And _you_ stole the camera? No wonder there's a thumb in there."

"Marco!" Ace whined. "You could at least say _good_ things about my pictures!"

"I bet I could guess a few other things you stole. you shouldn't drink underage."

Ace pouted, trying to get Marco to stop. "It tasted like shit anyways."

But the blond continued to tease his lover. "Irresponsible," he smirked, kissing him on the cheek.

Ace let out a sigh. "Whatever." He stood and stretched his arms above his head. "I'm going to get a drink. Want anything?"

"I'll have some water. Remember that you're not of age yet, so don't bring back any alcohol for yourself."

"Maybe I should just poison you instead."

"Just kidding, yoi!" he called as Ace exited to the kitchen.

Marco smiled to himself. He just couldn't resist teasing Ace. He rarely ever took it seriously and it usually resulted in cute pouts and whining. The disastrous date months ago was only the beginning of their relationship, but from there, things got better. Now, Marco truly loved Ace. He couldn't imagine life without him.

He continued to run his fingers across the pictures, smiling lovingly at Ace's image. But then he saw it: something unsettling.

In the picture Ace still looked very young. He held a smile on his face, but with careful observation, it was clear that the smile did not reach his eyes, which were empty and cold. The picture was labeled: "Out of the Hospital".

And he could see scars on Ace's forearms.

He continued to stare at the picture, wide-eyed. The sight filled him with unbelievable pain.

"Marco, I'm back!" Ace chimed with a smile as he entered the room. He stopped when he saw what Marco was looking at. The smile vanished from his face immediately.

"What the hell is this?" the blond breathed almost inaudibly. He still couldn't believe the image. His Ace, his _cheerful _Ace, was like _this_.

The teen set the drinks down on the table. Marco could see that his hands were shaking. "It's nothing, Marco," he whispered. "Just leave it." He reached over to try and turn the page, but Marco held it away from him.

"Tell me, Ace."

The teen didn't respond, choosing to hide his eyes. His hands were visibly clenching and unclenching at his sides. Marco opened his mouth to continue, but without warning, Ace jumped at him and knocked him flat. His back hit the floor and the air left his lungs. As he regained his breath, he saw that Ace kept him pinned down, furiously glaring. "I told you to leave it!"

Marco now understood that the brutal training sessions with his grandfather Ace talked about were not an exaggeration. Ace had lashed out at him before, but he had never gone so far as to attack him. Marco couldn't give up now though. He could read Ace easily, and judging by his continuous shaking, he saw that the boy was very much in pain.

Seeing his lover's distress, he managed to sit up, throw the album aside and take Ace in his arms. When the teen felt his lover's warm embrace around him, his infuriated facade finally broke and he let himself himself sob into his chest.

"Shhh, Ace. It's alright. I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me."

After a while, Ace began to calm down. He pulled away, wiping his eyes and sniffling. "I-it's okay," he stammered. "I d-don't want to h-hide things from you. Because I l-love you."

Marco smiled, leading Ace back to the couch and holding him as he spoke.

"When we were younger and living with the bandits," Ace started once he had calmed down, "Lu, Sabo, and I fought around a lot. It attracted a lot of attention to us." He stopped to look at Marco, who was listening intently. He nodded at Ace to continue.

"Some guys found out about us, and they attacked the bandit base where we lived." His voice shrunk. "The base was wrecked and some of the bandits died. Lu and Sabo were hurt real badly too.

"I blamed myself. It was…" He trailed off. "All of it was my fault. So... a few days later," he took a deep breath, "I tried to k-kill myself." His voice cracked, as if he were about to break again.

Though he was shocked, Marco held Ace closer by drawing his arms around him more tightly. "Go on, yoi. I'm here for you."

"I... I slit my wrists with my hunting knife, and there was- oh god- there was _so much_ blood!" Tears were streaming from his eyes once again. Marco kept his embrace tight and started stroking Ace's hair, attempting to comfort him with soft words. A terrible pain also coursed through his own heart, but what mattered now was what Ace was feeling.

Still sniffling, Ace continued. "I w-would've died if Sabo hadn't found me. When I woke up, I was... I was in a hospital bed." He paused, letting Marco's warmth calm him so he could continue. "Luffy was crying and Sabo was yelling at me to get up. The old hag and the shitty geezer were there too. I didn't know that they could get so emotional.

"After that I realized that I would've left Lu and Sabo behind. We moved here I started to get better. I promised myself that. I owed it to them." He finished and the two sat in silence, but his anxiety stayed. What would Marco think of him now? He had been a depressed child, and Marco didn't need someone with such a weight. All of it had already come back to him, but the reason he attempted suicide in the first place was becoming more and more prominent. He couldn't bring himself to tell Marco the whole truth. All Ace could do was sit there and silently pray that he wouldn't turn his back and leave him.

"You almost weren't in my life," Marco said, breaking the silence. He buried his face in Ace's hair. "I don't want to think about that." He brought Ace's wrist to his lips and softly kissed it where the scars would have been years ago.

"M-Marco! What-"

"Don't ever blame yourself again! I don't want to lose you." the blond's voice quieted. "I need you." he whispered.

Ace tensed under him slightly and Marco knew that he had something wrong. He shook his head. "No… Marco, you don't understand." Despite the blond's comforting words, Ace was still hiding something. As a gesture of comfort, he caressed Ace's chin, leaning in and placing a chaste kiss upon his lips. Finally, Marco was able to comfort him fully and Ace relaxed in his arms.

"I'm sorry for prying, yoi," Marco started after they broke the kiss. "If anything still hurts, just tell me when you're ready, yoi. I love you, so you don't have to feel like that for the rest of your life."

The teen blushed. "No, I'm sorry for, you know, tackling you and all." He pouted. "But you don't have to be so mushy!" He pulled his wrist back, which was still being held gently by his older lover.

"You love it. Don't you?" Marco teased, pecking Ace on the nose.

Ace merely giggled in response. "Thank you, Marco."

"Just let me know if you're in pain because I promise we'll only make good memories from now on."

* * *

Bonus:

"Sabo, why are you looking in the window like that? Go inside already!"

"Er-Luffy, I think we should go back out."

"Eh? But why? I'm _so_ hungry!"

"Those two need a little 'private time.'"

"Oh. Okay! But you're buying me food!"

_'No! My wallet! I swear, if they fuck on the couch, I'm burning it.'_

* * *

**So I doubt that this was anything too bad, but I'd love to know what you guys think!**

**Please review! Should I even bother polling this week (btw, go vote) if I know you guys are all going to pick the one with the smut? I'll do it anyways. Reminder: If smut is picked next week it will go up separately from this in the M-rated stories.**


	4. Side Story: Recovery

**A/N: Okay. So this was actually supposed to go up about half a week ago. I was getting really tired from school, so I didn't have as much time to work on stuff. If you did not read last week's oneshot, then you can get to it through my profile. It was smut, so you don't have to read it if you're not into that kinda stuff. This one is actually a sort of prequel to "Stories" and it delves into Ace's time after he got out of the hospital. There's not really any MarcoAce in this one, so sorry about that.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"How long are you going to sit there feeling sorry for yourself?"

Ace looked away from Sabo's stern gaze. He would've walked away, but he was stuck in this stark white hospital room. The cleanliness was ironically, sickening. He did not want to be in this place. He wanted to leave, he wanted to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw the vivid image of his blood running over his cut wrists, hunting knife lying on the floor. He had done it; therefore, he should have been dead.

Yet Sabo had burst in at the last second, discovering his bloody state and going to get help, saving him. Why? It was a good thing that they were able to get Luffy out of the room, though he was adamant to remain at his brother's side. Sabo had no right to scold him like a mother, even though Ace hadn't the energy to care.

"It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon," he replied emotionlessly.

Sabo merely scoffed at his childish response. "You know what I mean." To an outsider, the scene would've looked unusual: A blond _child_ reprimanding another child with empty eyes in a hospital bed. There was no need to yell at a patient, especially one who looked so emotionless, so apathetic. The blond was sure that he looked rather bratty for causing a scene in such a serious environment, but Ace's frustrating attitude was what mattered to him right now.

It took a while before the freckled child responded, tone unchanging. "It's none of your business."

"You say that after all we've been through? I'm your brother god damn it!"

A nurse passed by the room and scowled at his language. Sabo ignored her. He would curse if he liked. This was the most effective way to get the message across to a certain flame brain after all.

"And you still call me your brother after what happened? You shouldn't be brothers with someone like me. I… I shouldn't even exist."

Sabo growled. "Is that really the reason? Something as stupid as that?"

"Why not?" Ace countered quietly. "If I was not the son of _that man_, if I wasn't even born, then Luffy, you, and everyone else wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"It's not your fault," the blond sighed, unconsciously reaching for the bandages wrapped around his clothed torso. "And after seeing Luffy like that," he whispered, "you still want to die?"

"Why are you assuming things like that?"

"Because I know you and I see the empty look you have." He reached out and took Ace's hands gently, attempting to get his brother to look at him. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you aren't planning another suicide attempt as soon as you get out of here."

The two sat there in silence, Ace unresponsive. Eventually, he pulled his hands out of Sabo's surprisingly solid grip. He gave no answer, but that was enough. It was a silent confirmation of what Sabo feared most at the moment.

"Listen, Ace." He paused even though he knew that Ace was not listening. "You're going to get better. I promise you." He moved his empty hand to rest on Ace's bandaged arm. "I won't let you out of my sight until you get better. Lu and I, we're here for you. You know that. Right?"

Ace continued to stare out the window into a world that would have kept moving without him.

* * *

The house felt extremely empty when they moved in. The three of them had lived in their tree house and before that, the bandit's base. Both places had little to no furniture, but somehow moving into a house with couches and beds and tables just made things seem emptier.

'_It's all my fault,' _Ace told himself. _'It's my fault we had to move away.'_

Garp had moved them into a house in the city in hopes of finding ways of recovery for Ace. Even thought he hadn't been around much, he still cared about his grandsons. Almost losing one of them to suicide was enough to prompt him into this decision. In ways, it was risky. Ace knew this, but he didn't see much reason to care. If the government found out about him, then that would be the end of that. They would take him away, and then what? Did it even really matter?

There were enough rooms in the house for each of them, but Sabo insisted on all three of them sharing one. It's what they had been doing ever since they became brothers. Ace tried to tell them they would need space when in reality, he just wanted his privacy. Sabo didn't believe him, and taking up his job overseeing Ace, he moved their things into the second largest room (the master bedroom was where Garp slept whenever he was there). Luffy was happy with this arrangement. He hated being alone and loved having his brothers at his side. Ace was forced to accept defeat. Even in his current state, he did not have the heart to disappoint Luffy.

He collapsed on the couch in exhaustion, though he hadn't done much. He didn't know why he was so tired. He would've gone to his room, but he did not want to be around neither Luffy nor Sabo.

"Ace."

He did not even glace at Sabo as he came down the stairs.

"You look tired," Sabo said. He was trying to be gentle with Ace. He knew that Ace was still fragile even though the scars had healed. "Go to bed, Ace."

"I'll go to bed when I want."

He sighed. "I know that you're tired."

"Maybe _you_ should go to bed. You've been doing most of the work anyways."

Ace's stubbornness was getting to be frustrating. Sabo stormed over to the couch and growled. "Oi!"

"What do you want, _mom_?" Ace replied mockingly, personality having taken a turn. At this point he just wanted Sabo to leave him alone.

Suddenly, they heard someone bouncing down stairs. "Sabo! Ace!" Luffy called cheerfully. "Let's eat!" Then tension between the two older brothers broke as Ace sat up and they looked at their younger brother, who was smiling cheerfully.

"Alright, Lu," Sabo laughed. "I'll go heat up the leftovers." Patting the head covered with a straw hat, he shot Ace a look and headed into the kitchen.

Luffy bounded over to the couch. "Are you okay, Ace?" he asked, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm fine, Lu," Ace said, smiling tiredly.

"Okay! C'mon, let's eat!" Ace allowed Luffy to grab his wrist and lead him into the kitchen. He could at least stay strong for Luffy. Right?

* * *

"I'm not obligated to tell you anything."

"Now, Ace. If you want to get better, then you'll have to open up to me."

Ace continued to glare at the psychologist, but the woman did not seem intimidated whatsoever. He hated being in this room, sitting in front of a stranger who expected him to spill out his life's story. It was none of her business. Garp was just wasting time and money by sending him here and paying for professional help, and the evaluation and medication had already cost enough (though, it wasn't as if he were poor).

Clinical depression.

It's not like he was very familiar with the term. There were no psychologists or psychiatrists in Foosha, but he had heard the words tossed around here and there. He never thought about having it, though it was obvious that there had been something wrong with him when he…

"Ace," a voice whispered, cutting off his train of thought. He looked over at Sabo, who had come into the session with him. Ace had insisted on going in alone, but Sabo had convinced the doctor to let him in. They would not get anywhere if he was not with Ace, he had stated. "You don't have to say everything," he continued, "but at least try. Okay?"

He made it sound so easy. He wasn't the one sitting in this chair. He wasn't the one who held the burden. He wasn't the one that wanted to die. He crossed his arms and continued his silent protest.

"I'm sorry about him, Dr. Nico," Sabo apologized. "You're probably not used to having patients our age."

Olvia shook her head, white hair shifting around her shoulders. "It's quite alright. My daughter has gone through her own struggles, so I _have_ dealt with children before.

"I'm not a child," Ace snapped, interrupting their conversation. He quickly shut his mouth, realizing that he had broken his own silence.

"Is there something you'd like to say, Ace?" Olvia asked with a gentle smile. "I'm here to listen, and as your brother said, you do not have to tell me everything. We still have fifteen minutes left, so we can start with the basics."

Ace nodded, albeit hesitantly.

"Now," she paused and pressed her pen to the clipboard. "You are very strong, Ace. Some people don't even survive to recover."

Sabo's hand twitched uncomfortably. The subject itself was inevitable, but he still did not want to think about it. If Luffy had been in here, he would've started crying. Good thing he was out in the lobby, scribbling in a coloring book.

Expert eyes spotting the tiny signs of his distress, Olvia turned to Sabo. "I want you to be strong through this too. He's lucky to have brothers that care about him. You are quite responsible for watching over him like this."

He felt a bit of pride swell in his chest at the doctor's remark.

"I hear that you will be starting up school soon," she said, flipping through some of her papers. "Though you will have schoolwork, I trust that you'll keep taking your medication. Please continue watching over him Sabo. He may become stressed, but I suspect that some social interaction may do him some good."

Sabo nodded, but Ace scoffed.

'_Social interaction will do me good? Yeah right.'_

* * *

Ace hated school. He _loathed _it. The teachers had been informed of his 'situation', so they coddled him like he was a child made of glass. He didn't need their special treatment. He thought about failing on purpose just to piss them off, but as Sabo pointed out, that would just get their attention even more. For once Ace listened to him. He tried to be a decent student, but he couldn't bring him to listen to any of his teachers' boring ramblings of algebraic equations or proper punctuation. Sabo was there to help him with his school work, but having to be helped by his younger brother was just plain embarrassing.

Many of the other kids were just as bad as the teachers. They either pointed and stared at him from afar while gossiping behind their hands, or they tried making friends with him using smiles that made him want to puke and cheerful words that made his ears feel like they were bleeding. He had almost hit one of them, but luckily, Sabo stepped in last second. Ace was now able put up with her (Koala was her name), but this was because Sabo had the most obvious crush on the girl (he rolled his eyes when Sabo denied it).

He was also rather tolerant of the psychologist's daughter, Robin. The girl respected his boundaries, and supposedly she understood what he was going through, though she did not attempt to pry. Occasionally, she kept him company, yet they never spoke, allowing themselves a somewhat comfortable silence. Ace suspected that she was watching him for her mother.

But he hadn't even expected to meet the strangest one of them all.

He had skipped gym that day. Even though he liked physical activity (it helped with his training), the class was rather boring since they had to follow the tedious instructions of a gym teacher. It was nothing like training in the forest, hunting for food, or just fighting for the heck of it. Instead of going, he snuck into the woods near the school, searching for something to do, something that would finally catch his interest.

It did not work. The woods were pretty empty. There were no giant bears or tigers to fight, which was a disappointment. He leaned against a tree and slid down to the soil underneath him, closing his eyes. It was actually quite relaxing to breathe in some nature after so long, but it was nothing like the air back home.

"Hey, kid. Whatcha doin' here?"

Ace's eyes snapped open and he found himself staring back into dark blue eyes. He almost screamed, but held himself back when the stranger smiled at him.

"Rough day?" they asked, sitting down next to him.

He scowled back. "Why would you care?"

They held up their hands defensively, brown hair swaying around their face. "Whoa. No need to get your feathers all ruffled!" They stopped and sighed. "I've been spending too much time with my brother. Hasn't anyone ever taught you to be polite to women?"

Ace raised an eyebrow and scoffed in disbelief. "You're a girl?" he asked skeptically.

"Oi!" she barked.

"Aren't you skipping school too?"

She shrugged and brushed off her light-green shirt. "Pissed off one of the teachers with a stink bomb. I'm hiding out for now."

"Stink bomb? I haven't heard about that."

"Oh right. You're probably in middle school. Aren't ya, kid?"

"I'm not a kid."

"Whatever you say. By the way," she held out a hand and grinned, "I'm Haruta."

"…Ace"

He didn't know it at the time, but he just got caught up with one of Grand Line High's most infamous pranksters, Haruta Newgate.

* * *

They were still able to train, albeit in the backyard of their house. Sabo had remarked that the grass was quite soft, so it would break their falls when one of them knocked the other over. Garp had allowed them to bring their pipes on the condition that they did not leave the house. Ace was thankful for that, though It wasn't as if he were actively training. He still did not have the heart to. He refused to fight Luffy (he wouldn't let himself lose to him), but he occasionally fought Sabo.

And he lost.

Sabo already won half the time, so why not let him win all of them? He couldn't find the strength to fight back anyways. Sabo held back though, concerned for his older brother. Ace only blocked and dodged, and when he did hit back, it was weak, hardly anything to be worried about. With his poor posture and weak swing, Ace lost round after round, not bothering to tend to any wounds afterwards. This worried Luffy a lot, so Ace let him bandage up the more severe ones- not that he did the best job.

Sabo hated seeing him like this. Not only was it pathetic, but it was also an insult to Sabo's own abilities. He realized that it was a selfish thought, but if Ace had been in the right mind, Sabo wouldn't be beating him in all these fluke matches. If he was going to test his true abilities, Ace would have to be at full strength. This brooding was just getting in the way. Even though he had to be tolerant of Ace, he just wanted his brother to pull his head out of his ass.

"Why are you losing so much, Ace?" Luffy asked one day. Ace froze at these words. Luffy was oblivious, so he thought that he did not notice. "It's no fun if Sabo wins all the time!" Apparently, he could be observant when it mattered. Well, of course he would notice. He was the one keeping tally, and when all one hundred of those tallies were under "S", the facts were quite obvious. Ace resisted the urge to curse.

"Yeah, Ace," Sabo chimed. Ace could hear the smugness in his voice. "Why are you letting me win so much?"

He scowled. "Does it really matter?"

"Why are you being like this, Ace?" Sabo interrogated, now frustrated with his brother. He knew that he was supposed to be gentle with Ace in his time of need, but damn it, he couldn't take this anymore! His stubbornness, his sulking, it was all just too much.

Luffy stared up at the two with concern. They usually took care never to argue in front of him, but there was no helping it now. "Ace, Sabo-"

"This is your chance to let everything out, and what? You're holding back? What happened to you? I'm trying to help you!"

"…I can't," Ace muttered, Sabo straining to hear to barely audible words.

"What was that?"

"I just can't!"

"Damn it, Ace!" Sabo growled. "You're not making any sense!"

"You think I can fight you at full strength?" Ace cried, throwing his pipe down. "What would happen then? Huh?"

"There's _nothing _holding you back!"

At that his expression darkened. Why didn't Sabo understand? He's the one who has known the longest, so he of all people should know. "Are you kidding me? What I am, what I never chose to be, it's always going to keep me here. I'll never be free from that."

Sabo was silent, and for a minute Ace thought he had won. He had finally gotten his point across. All of this care and coddling would end and he could finally rest.

But then Sabo started whispering, just loud enough for Ace to hear. "…You're still whining over that?" Suddenly, Ace found himself on his back, staring up at the brother who had tackled him to the ground. A pipe pressed against his throat, and though he knew Sabo would never hurt him too hard, he was genuinely surprised at the blond's attitude change.

Sabo never got this angry. What was it now that pushed him to this? Rarely did the two brothers see that fire fill his eyes. He had finally snapped. Ace was only able to lie there as Luffy watched on, wanting to jump in, but too weak to help.

"You want to be free from your his name?" Sabo yelled. He dropped his pipe and grabbed Ace by his collar. "Then become free! Become freer than anyone!"

And Ace felt the change.

"Sabo! That wasn't fair!" Luffy interjected, heading over to try and stop them. "Sabo's not supposed to be the mean one!" He childishly stuck his tongue out at him. "I'm gonna steal all your meat at dinner now!" He ran inside, still shooting his brother mocking gestures as he left.

A silence enveloped the two brothers. Eventually Sabo stood, shooting Ace a look. The rage was no longer there, but now there was something else. "I just want my brother back." He followed Luffy inside, leaving Ace to dwell on the words.

'_Become… free?'_

* * *

"Hey, shitty gramps?"

"Still talking to your grandfather that way? Damn brat!"

"What is freedom?"

Garp froze, holding back his patented Fist of Love. It was a strange question when Ace asked it. Considering his former upbringing (the bandits basically let him do whatever) it was hard to understand why he would ask such a thing. "Well, I'd say you have plenty of that already," he shrugged, leaning back in his chair and picking his nose.

"What do you mean by that?" Ace was surprised that he had even responded. He'd expected another rant about how he should get back to his old self so he could continue his training (though Ace was sure that the man just wanted to give his Fist of Love without holding back).

"You and your brothers were always running around and doing whatever you wanted."

'_Whatever I wanted?'_

"Maybe you had too much freedom. No wonder they were always pissed about you guys. Bwahaha!" Garp stopped to laugh, thinking back on the misery of the bandits. "I guess they still liked you guys, even though you were off doing your own thing." He stopped, turning and raising an eyebrow. "What's with all the questions? Are you finally thinking about joining the Marines?"

"No."

* * *

"Dr. Nico?"

"Yes, Ace?"

"What is freedom?"

Olvia pushed up her glasses and smiled. "My, you're certainly talkative today. Usually _I _am the one initiating our conversations."

"Just answer the question. Please." This time Ace tried to remember his manners. He had gotten Sabo to stay out of his appointment for once, and though he did not care much for it, he knew he shouldn't antagonize the woman. She had been trying her best after all.

"Well, Ace. Freedom is exemption from external control, interference, or regulation."

"You got that from a dictionary didn't you," Ace commented dryly.

Olvia smiled. "Very good, Ace."

"Is that it?"

Smile never leaving her face, she replied, "Freedom cannot always be explained. I'm afraid you'll have to find your own definition if you truly wish to understand."

'_Find my own?'_

"Now." She paused to push up her glasses. "How was your week?

* * *

"Haruta?"

"Yeah, Acey?"

"Don't call me that."

"Whatevs."

"What is freedom?"

Haruta raised an eyebrow. "That's a weird question." Suddenly, she stopped and started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ace scowled.

"Y-you sound like my b-brother!" she stammered between giggles. "Maybe I should introduce you guys sometime! He could use some company, ya know~"

"O-oi! Just answer the question!"

She stared at him amusedly, placing a hand on her chin in thought. "Well, I guess freedom is letting go of all of your worries." She leaned against the tree and looked towards the sky as if she was reminiscing. "When you leave it all behind, you know what it's like to truly be happy."

'_Leave it all behind?'_

"Ya know, I think I might have a song to sing about this!"

"Please don't."

* * *

"Is it really that easy?" Ace asked himself one night as Sabo and Luffy slept.

He was here moping, while the people he loved slept on peacefully. They had their own troubles, so why were _his_ still bothering him. Haruta was always getting in trouble, but that never stopped her. Gramps had to take care of them, but, though he was pretty crazy, he took care of them as if they were his own. Sabo hated his family, but he left them behind. They all made it look so easy.

"I'm worrying about them. Aren't I?"

The question dissipated into the silence of the bedroom. Sighing, he turned over and closed his eyes.

"Gol D. Ace?" he whispered. "No…"

What could he do to let go? All of the people who cared for him, all the people who supported him... _The people willing to give their lives for him._ He could change for them right now. He knew he could.

"Portgas. Portgas D. Ace."

* * *

"Let's have a match."

Sabo stared at him, almost expressionless. "Finally ready for a _real _fight?"

"Just grab your pipe."

"Are we training again?" Luffy asked, bounding down the stairs.

"C'mon, Lu. You're keeping score." Ace slammed open the back door, leading Luffy by the hand. He readied himself by stretching his arms and legs, staring back at Sabo, who twirled his pipe in his hands. Luffy sat under the tree ready to write down the score.

"You ready, Ace?"

"The real question is: are _you_ ready?"

"3…"

"2…"

"1!"

They rushed at each other, feet flying off of the ground. Their pipes impacted with a loud 'clang!' and Sabo grunted, grip shaky. Ace's force had taken him off guard. In all their matches before it had been relatively easy to disarm him. "Fighting back, I see," he said, trying to contain a grin.

Giving no response, Ace pulled away, aiming another swing at Sabo's feet. The blond jumped backwards over the pipe to dodge, landing on his feet solidly. With a cry, he swung downwards, but Ace quickly blocked. "You better fight with all you've got," Ace whispered, just loud enough for Sabo to hear. Suddenly, he looked up and tone changing, yelled, "Because don't think for a second that I've given up!" He leapt backwards and charged again.

"Then show me!" Sabo retaliated by jabbing towards Ace's stomach. He dodged sideways, quickly moving behind Sabo. The blond spun and blocked, reeling from the force of the hit. "Don't hold back!"

"I won't!"

The round seemed to go on for hours, Ace's true feelings being conveyed through every strike. Sabo did not hold back either, blocking and dodging the hits directed at him. Slowly, grins started to grow on their faces. _'This is it,' _he thought, adrenaline rushing through his veins. _'This is my freedom.'_

_Clang!_

'_I can finally let go.'_

_Bang!_

'_This is why I can live.'_

_Crash!_

_'For Sabo and Luffy, for everyone else... I can live!'_

_Clang!_

_'I'll leave it all behind and become the freest! Starting now!'_

He adjusted his feet under him, preparing himself for one more swing. "Hey, Sabo!" he called. "Thanks!"

Sabo stopped, confused. "For what?"

Without warning, Ace jumped at him and swung. Before he knew it he was knocked on his back, Ace pressing a pipe to his chest. "I found it," Ace panted. "I found my freedom."

For a moment, there was an almost sacred silence held between them, until finally Sabo's grin broke out on his face again. He almost laughed. He almost cried. Ace was finally, _finally_ back. He had beaten his chains, his weight, and now there he was smiling above him,_ victorious._ When he looked off to the side, he could see Luffy smiling too, happy for his brothers. There was so much Sabo wanted to say, but the first thing that came out of his mouth was an overjoyed, "Welcome back, Ace!"

* * *

Bonus

"Say, Marco... Are you lonely?"

"What would ever give you that idea? No, I'm not lonely."

"Really?"

"Why are you looking at me like that, yoi?"

"Well... I have a friend-"

"Forget it, Haruta. The last time one of you tried to set me up with someone, you brought me to a zoo to look at ostriches."

"I didn't say you had to date him (he's not old enough for you anyways. At least, not yet)."

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing! I'm just saying that you might thank me later!"

"No."

"Wait, Marco! Just listen to me for a sec!"

* * *

**Please review! Thanks to StarPurpleandBlue for the inspiration!**

**So technically, you guys weren't supposed to get an update this week. I was taking a break, but I really wanted to get this one out. I'm skipping next week, so the next update will be on October 5th, Marco's birthday! No poll this week because I'm publishing a birthday special.**


	5. October 5th

**A/N: Okay, so first of all, sorry if this is bad. I've been writing a lot for school lately, so I really don't feel as if this was planned out too well. This was really just based on one particular scene and I had to write a lead-in, so the beginning part felt pretty bad to me. But anyways, it's Marco's birthday! Yay for that! Perfect time for a oneshot. Also, I've had less time for editing, so there might be some more mistakes. My schedule's been pretty busy for these past few weeks.**

**Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I never found time to actually make responses, so sorry about that.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Marco scoffed in annoyance. He had just gotten back from the bathroom when he heard Ace talking on his phone cheerfully. Currently, he was hiding behind a corner, trying to get some information, but no such luck. He and whoever he was speaking to were only making small talk. If Ace kept doing this, then surely this must have been important. Marco heard another laugh from around the corner and he scowled.

Ace had been acting strange lately. He kept making secretive phone calls and texts, and he took every opportunity to lie about them. He'd pretend that he wasn't even on the phone or that he had been texting his brothers, but he was a terrible liar. He was never on his phone too often, preferring to talk to those around him. So why was he doing this?

Marco did not like it at all.

Honestly, He did not want to deal with any secrets at the moment, considering he had other things to worry about.

His birthday.

It was no secret that Marco Phoenix's birthday was October 5th, and of course this spelled trouble for him. This meant an influx of fan mail and media coverage, which Marco hated. The press always expected him to host a gigantic "birthday bash" (he cringed just thinking of the phrase), but, though the situation was purely hypothetical, he didn't see why they'd think they were invited if he did have one such... bash. He's prefer to spend it as a quiet day with Ace (not that the boy was quiet in any way). If his family planned anything, then there was nothing he could really do about it. Thankfully, the paparazzi were smart enough to stay off Whitebeard's property without permission.

Unfortunately this did not take his mind off the matter at hand.

"Okay. See you soon," Ace said, hanging up the phone. Marco snapped to attention. Who would Ace be seeing soon? After waiting for a few seconds, he rounded the corner back into the living room.

"Hey, Marco," Ace smiled. "You okay? You took awhile."

"I'm fine, Ace," he replied, forcing his own smile through his paranoia. He reclaimed his spot on the couch and leaned over to kiss Ace on the cheek. "Don't worry about me," he continued, pulling the freckled teen into his arms.

"It's suck if you got sick on your birthday though," Ace pointed out. "Speaking of your birthday, have you got any plans yet?"

There it was. Marco didn't want to rope Ace into sorting fan mail or running from press, but both of them wanted to spend the day together. He just wasn't sure of what to tell him.

"Depends," he started. "You know my family. They'll probably plan something, though I'd rather spend the day with you."

"Well, aren't you sweet?"

"Am I?"

"You know, it wouldn't be so bad to be with your family," Ace said. "I wouldn't mind if we had a party or something."

"That might be the case," Marco sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked, concerned at his lover's discontent.

"My birthday always gets attention, yoi. If the media caught wind of a party, then there's no doubt that they'd try to go."

Ace nodded in understanding. He had quickly learned that Marco held a strong dislike for the paparazzi, who often twisted facts to get a good headline.

"And furthermore," the blond continued, "I can't go out in public without being mobbed, so really, I'd just prefer a smaller celebration."

"You get mobbed _on your birthday_?" Ace asked curiously.

"Only by the fans if I go out in public."

Ace felt a pang of jealousy course through him (though he didn't know Marco was in a similar situation). Of course the girls would be all over him. It's not like he had forgotten Marco's position. It's just that he tried not to think about it. "But you only need me. Right?" He tried sounding as cheerful as possible.

"Of course," Marco replied, pulling him in tighter. "Stay with me then. Okay?"

For a second, Ace thought he felt Marco tense up. _'The stress must be getting to him,' _he told himself. 'After he sees my present though, he'll be all better!' He decided to leave the issue as he snuggled closer to Marco.

_'I could ask the same of you, Ace.'__  
_

* * *

There was a used cup sitting on the table. This didn't help Marco's paranoia one bit considering he saw an unfamiliar car pull out of Ace's driveway before he had gotten there. Recalling the Ace's excessive phone activity as well only made him more suspicious.

"Is something wrong, Marco?" Ace asked as he approached him from behind. "You're ready to go, right?"

He turned and saw Ace looking at him with concern. He felt his troubles wane. If Ace was worried about him, then there was no way that... Marco cut off his thought. _That_ was something he did not want to think about. Ever.

"I'm ready, yoi," he answered, making Ace smile. "You're hungry. Right?"

"Yep! Next time, don't get here so late," Ace teased.

Marco chuckled. "I should have expected you to be impatient. So what do you want to eat?"

"I'm thinking pizza."

"Alright then, let's go."

As expected, Ace was practically inhaling the several pizzas they had ordered. And of course he favored the ones that had meat. Marco was satisfied with a few slices of plain cheese, but he decided to eat slowly. He knew he should pace himself since Ace would eat a lot.

Ace had just started another slice when they heard it: the distinct ringing of Ace's phone.

Swallowing his food, he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Marco," he said after checking his phone. "I need to take this." With a small smile, he stood and walked away, presumably for privacy.

Marco felt slightly disappointed that Ace took the phone call. He knew that he should respect Ace's privacy, but his worry combined with his curiosity was just too much. He quietly followed behind Ace, once again hiding behind a corner.

"So you delivered it?" Ace said. "Thanks a lot! You did a really great job, Vivi."

Marco frowned. He now knew the stranger's name, but he still had no context to the conversation and it bothered him.

"You're amazing. Would you like a thank you kiss?"

_'What?!'_ Marco wanted to round the corner and snatch the phone out of Ace's hands, but he would risk possibly making the other angry. Not that he wasn't feeling at least a bit angry himself at the thought of Ace kissing this woman. _'There's no way Ace is actually cheating on me,'_ he reassured himself. _'Not before my birthday.'__  
_  
"Just kidding!" He heard Ace laugh and he sighed in relief. Deciding that he had heard enough, he quickly returned to his seat. What he heard neither confirmed nor denied his fears, but now he held more information. Maybe he could clear this up with Ace.

"I'm back!" Ace called cheerfully when he returned. "Miss me?"

"I bet you missed you food even more," Marco commented, not realizing he sounded stiff.

Ace frowned. "You've been acting a little weird lately, Marco. You sure you'll be okay for tomorrow?"

"I'll be okay."

"Maybe you don't want to be with your family?" Marco's siblings had indeed planned a party. Thankfully, it was just the family and a few close family friends.

Marco smiled, hoping it did not look forced. "I'll be fine as long as you're there."

"You really know when to turn on the charm. Don't you?"

* * *

Marco paced around his room anxiously. He hoped that his brothers wouldn't embarrass him. He didn't need any more of that. He really needed to calm down. Ace and his friends would be here soon.

Suddenly, Izo entered his room. "What are you doing in here?" He asked raising a perfectly maintained eyebrow.

"I could ask you the same question."

He rolled his eyes. "Just go downstairs. Don't you want to answer the door for Ace?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Hush, you. Just come downstairs." Refusing to listen to any further protest, Izo seized his hand and dragged him out of his room.

"Now wait here and answer the door." He hurried away, leaving Marco in a state of confusion.

_'What's up with him?' _he wondered. The bell rang with almost convenient timing, indicating Ace's arrival. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for the oncoming storm of guests. Waiting a few seconds, he gripped the handles and thrust the double doors open.

"Hi, Marco!" the group greeted. Smiling back at him were the Strawhats, Sabo, Koala, and Ace. But there was someone else...

Ace leapt forward into his arms. "Happy birthday, Marco!"

He smiled. "Hey, Ace. Thanks for coming guys."

"This place is really cool!" Luffy exclaimed. The rest of them continued their excited chatter as they entered the mansion.

"What a SUPA place!" Franky yelled, striking his signature pose. No doubt he would want to take notes for his own.

"Captain Usopp owns a castle ten times this size!"

"Wow, Usopp!"

"Say, you wouldn't happen to have any valuables lying around here. Would you?" Nami asked, eyes shining with beri signs.

"Witch can't even stop stealing on a birthday."

"Don't talk about my Nami-swan like that!"

"Nami-"

"Don't even think about it, Brook."

Robin merely giggled at her friends' banter. She paused as she walked by him. "By the way, Marco. I would like to talk about you schedule for next week sometime soon. Is that alright with you?"

"That will be fine," he replied absentmindedly, staring at the stranger. "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry!" The girl brushed her light-blue hair out of her face. "I haven't introduced myself."

"This is Vivi, Marco!" Ace interrupted enthusiastically. "She's our friend!"

"Really?" So this was Vivi. The girl that Ace had been calling recently. She seemed nice enough, so Marco held out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Marco Phoenix."

"I know," she smiled. "Vivi Nefertari."

_'Isn't Nefertari the name of Alabasta's leader?'_

"I'm actually a fan of yours!" she chirped with a smile. "When Ace told me what happened, I was pretty surprised, but you make him happy, so that's great."

"Oi, Vivi!" Luffy called. "C'mon!"

"Geez! Can you bear to wait a little!" She sighed. "Well, it was nice meeting you! Maybe you can give me an autograph later?" With a small wave, Vivi followed her friends into the house.

"Vivi transferred here from Alabasta for awhile. She became real good friends with Luffy when she was here," Ace explained, seeing slight confusion on Marco's face. "She was in town, so we invited her. I hope you don't mind."

He really didn't. Vivi seemed like a nice girl, and more importantly she did not seem to hold a romantic relationship with Ace like he had suspected. "I don't mind," he answered. "You guys will fit right in."

Ace suddenly moved his lips towards Marco's ear. "I'll give you your present later. Neh~?" he whispered, making Marco's heart race.

_'Just what is he planning?'_

* * *

The rest of the night went relatively smoothly, though Marco still remained suspicious of Ace's behavior. The Strawhats got along with his family pretty well. After all, the groups were both very eccentric. The night consisted of mostly talking, eating, and drinking (non-alcoholic). It was actually quite nice, well, considering that his siblings continued to make fools of themselves. Thatch, for example, would end up hitting on the girls before they promptly rejected him. Marco found this hilarious, though it would look bad if he laughed.

Quite a few games of poker were played as well. Marco was a master with an excellent poker face. Ace was just a bit too expressive. At the end of the last game it came down to just Marco and Nami, and _boy_ did he not want to lose when he saw that look in her eyes. Thankfully, the game was stopped for cake, to which the group moved into the dining room.

They had baked several different types of cakes. All the siblings had different tastes and they were sure the guests would as well. No one complained. Ace and Luffy ate a lot anyways. Everyone sang the classic birthday song (though Marco could have sworn that some of those who were singing were drunk) before Marco blew out the candles on one cake (just a plain vanilla). Everyone immediately rushed to their favorite cake to get a slice (or two). They wouldn't have to worry about leftovers. The family was big and their guests would probably end up taking some home either.

When the night was finally coming to a close, Ace approached him once again and once again his curiosity was piqued. "Come with me, Marco," he said, taking his hand. Ace began to drag Marco away, but the older male saw no reason to protest. No one had seemed to notice their absence, caught up in their own interactions. "I wanna show you something," Ace smiled as he pulled him up the stairs.

"What are you doing, Ace?" Marco finally asked when they reached his room. Ace had started to rummage through his closet, making him raise an eyebrow.

"Shh!" Ace exclaimed, pulling out a large, flat object wrapped in blue paper.

_'When did that get in there?'_ Marco wondered.

"Happy birthday, Marco!" Ace cheered, handing it to him.

Marco took it carefully. Still wondering how Ace hid it in there, he laid it out on his bed, Ace looking at him expectingly.

"Open it!"

He chuckled, seeing his lover's eagerness. Complying to Ace's wishes, he grabbed the corner of the wrapping paper and tore his present open.

He gasped when he saw it. There wasn't much one could expect from a wrapped rectangle, but Marco definitely hadn't been expecting this.

A painting.

It was beautiful. A phoenix painted with beautiful light blues and complimented with a bright yellow was the subject, the paint somehow making it glow. The majestic bird soared high above, illuminating the ocean that surrounded the hilly island below. The island itself was lit up with tiny dots, indicating signs of civilization. He could see a small village that appeared to be having a festival. The phoenix looked as if it were about to swoop down upon the land, to grace the people of the island with its presence.

But what really made the painting for Marco was his family's crest, burning bright across the firebird's plumed chest.

"Do you like it, Marco?" Ace asked, almost bouncing in anticipation for Marco's answer.

"Like it? Ace, I love it, yoi! How did you get this?" This gift was so extremely personalized that no doubt Ace had worked hard to obtain it.

"Well, I asked Vivi to paint it. I payed her though! It would be rude if I asked her to do something like this without any compensation. She's saving up her own money for college."

"Is this why you've been making so many calls recently?"

Ace nodded. "Vivi wanted me to let her know what I wanted in the painting. She let me see it yesterday, and I asked her to bring it here so Izo could hide it."

'_No wonder he was acting weirdly,' _thought Marco, Izo shoving him out earlier in mind.

"She did a really great job. Don't ya think?"

Marco smiled. "I'll have to thank her sometime." Suddenly, he realized something and laughed

"Hey! What's so funny?"

"I thought that you might have been cheating on me! Looks like I was worried for nothing!"

"Stupid, Marco!" Ace pouted. "I would never cheat on you!"

"I know, I know. Because you love me. Right?"

"Stop teasing me."

Marco took Ace in his arms and kissed him on the nose. "Sorry, yoi." He stopped and looked at the painting once again. "She really _did_ do a fantastic job. She takes commissions, you said?" The mansion had plenty of extra wall space, and she was pretty talented.

"Yep! Although," Ace said, "she told me that love is a beautiful subject and that she'd like to paint us together sometime. Free of charge." He paused to snicker. "I think she just wants to use you as a reference."

"Well, it's an interesting offer. I might have to take her up on that." Marco carefully moved the painting to the couch, vowing to find it a good space on the wall. "Thank you, Ace. This is possibly the greatest gift I have ever-" He stopped, Ace pressing his lips over his own. Somehow, Ace had removed his own shirt when Marco was distracted. He looked extremely inviting to the older man, and him leading Marco's hands down to his hips did not help Marco's forming erection. Ace coaxed his mouth open with his tongue and Marco allowed the younger to ravish his mouth, fighting back for dominance and easily winning.

Ace pulled away, a string of saliva still connecting their mouths. "Don't think you present is complete, birthday boy~" he whispered seductively.

Marco moved his hands and gripped Ace's ass tight, breaking Ace's teasing personality for a mere second. "Alright. I'm game."

(To be continued)

* * *

Bonus:

"What was that about a 'thank-you kiss?'"

"You heard that? Marco!"

"Sorry, yoi. I guess I was just worried."

"Alright. Ah, I guess since she was my friend I was teasing her."

"Teasing her?"

"Vivi used to have a crush on me when we first met. She was pretty accepting when she found out I was gay."

"Didn't she also say she was a fan of mine?"

"I think she might have liked you at one point."

"It must've been a shock, yoi."

"I don't think she thought much of it. She has a boyfriend. She was actually really happy for me."

"Sweet girl."

"She's pretty much part of the family. You'll learn to love her."

"I'm sure."

* * *

**That bonus wasn't really there to be funny. I guess it was just a little extra information. I might write a side story about when everyone met Vivi later, but really she was just a side character here. I guess I can imagine her as a painter? Also Part 2 will be uploaded with the last M-rated oneshot (there wasn't supposed to be smut in the first place, but then...). There might be another bonus for this (separate), but that might take awhile.**

**POLLS are back up. Please vote! **

**Reviews and suggestions are very much appreciated!**


	6. The Manager

**A/N: Okay, so I'd really like it if more of you guys voted on the polls. I'm not trying to sound forceful. It just helps me know what you guys want to see. Since I usually have one or two oneshots written ahead of time, so it helps me to know what I should edit ahead of time. And about the chapter, I can't write Ivankov very well. Sorry.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Marco, you really need to get a girlfriend."

These words were nothing new. Whenever his manager would talk to him, the conversation would always start out this way. Frankly, it was getting old. He didn't need a girlfriend. He had Ace, and Ace was one of the best things that ever happened to him. They had agreed to keep their relationship private for both of their sakes, but this only made his manager's pestering even worse.

"It would be great for publicity."

Of course, he didn't know about Marco having a _boyfriend_ as opposed to having a girlfriend. He would go mad. Not that Marco would care very much.

But if he didn't care, why hadn't he fired the man yet?

Marco wanted to admit that he did not have a reason to, but honestly, the man was in actuality, one of the best in the business. Not to mention that Marco did not have enough free time to search for a new manager at the moment.

"Having a girlfriend won't affect my publicity," Marco replied, trying to hide his annoyance. He straightened the sleeves of the jacket he was wearing and leaned towards the mirror to examine the light layer of foundation the makeup artists had applied. "Let's the fangirls dream, yoi." It was the excuse he used almost every time.

Unfortunately, the other man would never hear it. The manager frowned. "That's not the right attitude to have." He glanced at the papers on his clipboard. "Oh I checked the event schedule, by the way. I moved that interview from tonight to Saturday."

Now this was something important. "You moved it?"

"You should be thanking me. Since it's a TV spot, Saturday would have better viewership. Besides, you're busy tonight anyways."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm not, yoi. At least I shouldn't be." If he moved the interview, then he should have had free time. That would've been fine with him, for he was planning to spend time with Ace after the interview anyways. Ace was going on a short trip for Friday, so he wanted use his free time to help him prepare. His manager didn't even know about Ace's existence, so why did he even think that Marco was busy?

"I know," his manager replied. He pushed up his glasses. "That's because you have a dinner date."

"What?!" He spun around to stare at his manager with disbelief. Marco had always refused the offers before, and he expected the man to respect his decisions. Surprisingly, he had never actually set him up with anyone before. Marco could forgive him for that, but the current situation was just infuriating. "What the hell? I never asked you to do anything like that!"

He merely waved it off. "Relax. It's not like it's gonna hurt you. I hear she's a smart girl, though I hear she's a little dangerous though. Again, it'll be good for the image."

"How many times have I told you that that wasn't important to me? Besides, I _was_ busy, yoi. I just saw no reason to tell you."

"Oh. You mean that friend of yours? Ace, was it?"

Marco tried not to show his shock. He was good at decently good at hiding things from others, and he hadn't given away a single detail about Ace. His feelings of security from earlier meant nothing now. "How do you..."

"He called earlier. Wanted to tell you something about leaving early. And according to your schedule, you have no other prior arrangements."

Marco wanted to yell, but there was really nothing he could do. _'How am I going explain this one to Ace?'_

His manager smiled smugly.

_'Yep. Definitely getting a new manager.'_

So that evening, he pulled on a suit begrudgingly, not bothering to clean up too much. His manager drove him to the restaurant, claiming, "You would drive to the next town over if I let you go on your own." It was silly in Marco's opinion. He was being treated like a child.

The restaurant was quite high class, but Marco didn't care to remember its name. He stepped out of the car, grumbling to his self the entire time. The lights both outside and inside shined sickeningly bright. Maybe it was just contrasting with his mood. The scent of freshly poured wine wafted through the dining room and the laughter and gossip of some older men and women echoed around.

"Mr. Phoenix?" a waiter asked. "I'll show you to your table. Your date has already has already arrived."

Marco frowned as the waiter led him uncomfortably close to the center of the room. The table was in an ideal location to be seen, and the presence of poorly disguised paparazzi did not help the situation.

He immediately knew which table was his. It was surprisingly flashy for such a small table. The dark wood shined and gold accents swirled along the ornate carvings. Of course his manager would reserve the most eye-catching table in the entire restaurant. A girl wearing a simple knee-length, black dress sat there alone. Her back was turned and she held a menu up to her face. Her posture and long, dark hair seemed familiar, but he brushed it off as nothing.

Pulling out his chair to sit hesitantly, he hoped that he could let this girl down gently. He couldn't tell her that women didn't interest him and Ace was the only one he wanted, but there was probably something he could do.

But before he could say anything, the girl began speaking.

"Mr. Phoenix," she started, lowering the menu just enough for Marco to see her face.

Marco's eyes widened in shock. He knew her. He definitely knew her. "You!" If he had taken a drink of the water already set down for him, he surely would have spit it out by now.

"I am here for a different reason than you manager may think. You see, Mr. Phoenix, I have a proposition for you."

* * *

When Ace climbed out of his brother's car and stretched his arms above his head, it was already starting to get dark out. The three brothers had just gotten back from a trip to their hometown, and they were absolutely exhausted. Ace considered going to sleep, but he really wanted to see Marco. They were supposed to meet up before he left on Wednesday, but he ended up having to leave early. Makino called, and she had caught a bit of a cold. Sabo wanted to head up to help her, so that's what they did.

Wanting to be awake to see Marco, he decided to walk down to the store for an energy drink. Neglecting to help carry any of their bags inside the house (Sabo may or may not have yelled at him to "get his ass back here"), he jogged off. The walk was never long. Their neighborhood was a pretty short distance from the grocery store. At his pace, he could get there in about fifteen minutes. He didn't bother to breathe in the fresh air, though it was a nice change of pace from the cramped car. Foosha and the Mountains had plenty of fresh air: fresh air that was of richer quality than the "fresh air" of the city.

The cool air-conditioning of the store was a relief. It was still pretty hot out and Ace was already pretty thirsty in the first place. Slowing his pace, he bounced over to the windowed fridge where the store kept drinks for "on the go". He kept a smile on his face as he went to pay, but it vanished as soon as he saw it.

The covers of the magazines on the rack near the register read: "Marco Phoenix's Mystery Woman?"

_'What the hell is this?!'_ he screamed internally. Part of him wanted to rip open the magazine and read what could possibly be proof that Marco was cheating, repeat, _cheating_ on him. The other part of him wanted nothing to do with the article. _'It's just a lie,'_ he told himself. But that did not stop the panic settled in his heart.

Someone snorted behind him. "You lookin' at those?" The cashier asked. "Most of it's total bs."

Ace felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Really?"

"Well, _most_ of it," the guy shrugged. "There were pictures of that guy's date on Wednesday. It's weird. Nobody got a good picture of the girl, but I bet she's a total bombshell!"

The teen felt his drink slip out of his hand. _'Nononono!'_ He began hastily rummaging around in his pockets for his phone. Panic increasing when he couldn't find it, he mentally slapped himself. He had left it at home. There was no reason to bring it to Foosha since there was no reception, but he should have taken it with him before he left for the store! Immediately forgetting the thing he came for in the first place, he sprinted out. The walk home was fifteen minutes, but he could make it in five.

"Wasn't he gonna buy somethin'?"

* * *

_'Marco had a date? _A date?_ That's the night I left too.'_ Ace thought as he ran. _'He wouldn't lie to me like that! But why? Why was he with a _woman_?'_ He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he was just too conflicted. He felt a mix of anger and betrayal fueling him as his legs carried him home.

He slammed the door to his house open and heard a startled yelp from further inside. He must've scared Sabo from leaving and coming back so suddenly, but there was too much on his mind for him to think about that. He sprinted up the stairs to his bedroom and entered, frantically rushing over to open the bedside table drawer. His phone sat there almost innocently. He quickly snatched it up and held the button to turn it on. The damned thing couldn't turn on fast enough. He _needed_ to call Marco now. He needed to know.

Frantic, Ace rushed as quickly as he could to the call menu and pressed Marco's number. Holding it up to his ear, he bounced anxiously on his bed. The ringing did not help to calm his nerves one bit. When he heard the telltale click of the call being answered, he yelled out, "Marco! What the hell!"

Marco had been waiting to be called onto the set when he received Ace's call. He wasn't exactly sure how Ace would react, considering they had no way of contacting in each other when he was in Foosha, but now he would have to face it. He wanted- no *needed to talk to Ace about this. Unfortunately, he would have to go on soon. There was only one thing he could tell Ace at the moment.

"Marco! What the hell!" his lover yelled.

"Ace, calm down, yoi." He must have found out one way or another if he was yelling at him like this. Ace should have been back in town by now. He probably would've seen it on a magazine cover. Apparently the paparazzi thought it was a big deal and published the story immediately.

"How could I calm down? I just- there's no way!" Ace breathed in. "You're not cheating on me. Are you?"

Marco sighed, hoping Ace wouldn't hear. He should've known that Ace would jump to that conclusion. He wanted to reassure him, tell him that everything was okay, but...

"Marco, you're on in five!"

Hearing this, Ace questioned, "What was that?"

Nodding back to the technician, Marco whispered into the phone. "Ace. You trust me. Right?"

Ace was silent for awhile, but he finally answered, "...Yes."

"Then I need you to listen to me."

"Okay."

"Go downstairs and turn the channel to Ivankov's talk show. Can you do that for me?"

"Uh-huh."

Marco smiled. Hopefully everything would turn out okay. Ace was in for a surprise. "I'll see you later then."

"Marco, what's going on?"

"I promise that this will explain everything."

"If you say so. But I can't help worrying about it..."

"Then let me calm you down." He almost smirked. He shouldn't have been acting so teasing when his lover was in distress, but he just couldn't help his self. "I love you." And with that hung up.

"Are you ready Mr. Phoenix?"

He nodded to his companion, and hearing his name being called, he walked in people cheering and applauding his entrance.

"Ladies and gentleman, please velcome Marco Phoenix!"

* * *

"I love you."

Ace's heart was still pounding in his chest when his lover hung up. Complying to Marco's request, Ace had ran into the living room and snatched the remote out of Sabo's hand.

"Oi!" the blond barked. "What gives?"

He didn't respond. Instead he switched the channel over just in time to hear Ivankov's enthusiastic shout. _"Ladies and gentleman, please velcome Marco Phoenix!"_

"Ehhhhhh?!" He had wondered why Marco had asked him to watch television. He was a celebrity, so Ace should not have been surprised.

Sabo quirked an eyebrow at the screen. "Oh? No wonder you wanted to watch."

"Shhh!"

_"Ve're all _so_ excited to have you here!"_

Marco flashed his charming smile, making the crowd cheer. Ace himself melted at the smile as well. _"It's nice to be here," _he said.

After the cheer had died down, Ivankov turned to Marco. _"Now, Marco-boy. It's no secret that vyou're popular with the ladies."__  
_  
A laugh slipped from between the model's lips. _"I guess that's what they say, yoi!"_

Ace frowned. He knew that the statement was true, but that doesn't mean he was bothered by it. _'Marco's just keeping up appearances,' _he told himself.

_"Let's cut to the chase. Ve all know that vyou vere with someone vednesday night."_

Ace leaned off the couch at this.

_"Have vyou finally gotten a girlfriend?"_

Sabo had to pull Ace back, for he almost fell on the floor from leaning out to far.

_"Well, Iva." _Most of the talk show host's guests addressed him this way. _"There's a simple explanation for that."_

_"Oh _do_ tell."_

_"Why don't I just bring her out?"_

Another small spark of panic rushed through Ace. "What?"

_"Oh? I think that's fine with all of us! Right everyone?"__  
_  
The crowd roared once again.

_"Vell?"_ Iva called to someone off set. _"Send her in!"_

After the call, a girl strutted in. Her dark dress cut off at her thighs, but impossibly long boots made up for that. Black hair fell at her back, matching her choice of clothing. Both Ace and Sabo knew who this was immediately.

"Oh my god!"

Both she and Marco smiled at the camera as he said, _"Everyone this is Miss Nico Robin. She is my new manager, yoi."__  
_  
"WHAT?!"

* * *

The rest of the interview was a blur to Marco. Right after the announcement, the audience had exploded. Many of them were disappointed that he still didn't have a girlfriend, but some were also glad that he was "still available" in a sense. They didn't have to know about Ace just yet. His now ex-manager probably had the best reaction though. He merely stood off stage at Marco's implied declaration of "You're fired."

He was glad that Robin offered to become his manager. Of course, he wouldn't have hired her if she wasn't qualified for the job. Though she was still young, she was knowledgeable and responsible. And because she was aware with his relationship with Ace, he was sure that she would be able to help him manage his time wisely.

The story would no doubt be up on the news tomorrow, but that did not matter to Marco right now. What mattered was seeing Ace. After escaping the post-show press, he had driven Robin back to her apartment and headed straight to Ace's house. He hadn't called beforehand, for he wanted to surprise the younger.

He climbed out of his car and was about to head to the door when it burst open. Ace came barreling out, immediately rushing to Marco's side. "Marco!" he shouted. He reached out and embraced the man, burying his face in his chest. "I'm sorry for doubting you."

Marco chuckled. Ace was just too adorable. "It's normal to be jealous, Ace."

"I know," the teen sighed, "but you're famous and all, so I just can't help it." Tilting his head in confusion, he asked, "How _did_ Robin end up as your manager anyway? I mean, I've only been gone for a few days!"

"That's actually a pretty interesting story, yoi."

"Really? Tell me then!"

* * *

"I am here for a different reason than you manager may think. You see, Mr. Phoenix, I have a proposition for you," Robin said as she folded her menu and set it on the table.

**Wow! You must've been really shocked! Did ya spit out your water?**

**Are you going to let me tell the story or not?**

**If I must.**

"Okay. But, Robin- er- Miss Nico-"

"Robin is fine," she smiled. "We're friends. Are we not?"

"I guess," he admitted. Whenever she was around, they were able to hold a few decent conversations. "But why are you here?"

"You understand that Ace is important to us as a friend as well, I assume," she started, 'us' referring to the other Strawhats.

"Of course." Whenever he visited Ace, the rambunctious group came and went. Since they were close to Luffy, they were pretty much family to the three brothers.

"Well, Nami obtained some information about Marco Phoenix seeking a girlfriend, which I'm sure you know, is very untrue." Robin paused, giving him time to respond with a short nod. "We figured out that the source of this rumor was your manager and decided to act upon this issue."

"We?"

"I assure you that everyone else is indeed here."

Marco didn't find the statement very reassuring.

"So I offer you a solution."

The blond raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

Knitting her fingers together and resting her chin atop them, she answered, "I am offering to become your manager."

Marco couldn't say that he wasn't surprised. Robin was responsible and intellectual: perfect qualities for the job. Yet a question still remained.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked.

"As valedictorian of my graduated class, I've had to juggle many commitments before. This would be no challenge to me. I'd say I'm more than capable. Don't you think? Please remember, we are doing this for your and Ace's benefit."

The offer was perfect. Robin understood both his commitment to work and his relationship with Ace. He had been resolving to replace his manager anyway, so why not?

"I think you've got yourself a deal, yoi."

* * *

"I'll have to thank Robin later," Ace smiled. "For, you know, not making a move." He jabbed a finger into Marco's chest playfully.

"Don't worry about that," the blond  
whispered into Ace's ear. "I only need you."

Ace immediately blushed. "Oi! You're so cheesy!" he exclaimed. They stood in each other's embrace for awhile until Ace finally asked, "Well, what now?"

Marco smirked at him. "I think I'll stay the night, yoi." He leaned down to nibble the shell of Ace's ear teasingly. Upon contact, younger squeaked, encouraging Marco's advances. "Is that fine with you?"

"Y-yeah," Ace stuttered, pulling away to lead Marco inside. He coughed awkwardly, suddenly remembering how exhausted he was. Thought of Marco had filled his mind earlier, giving him energy he no longer possessed. "But, erm, just sleeping tonight. I'm really tired."

The model smiled in acceptance. "I'm just happy to be with you, Ace. But," he paused, "I can't guarantee that something won't happen in the morning~"

"Pervert."

* * *

Bonus:

"Good morning~"

"Well, aren't we handsy today?"

"Well, I missed you, and you just look _so_ good in bed like this, yoi."

"Mmmnn... Marco..."

"You're already hard, Ace."

"What do you expect? I-"

"Oi! Get up, you two!"

"What a killjoy."

"What do you say, we continue this after breakfast?"

"Do I even need to say anything?"

* * *

**So I actually have midterms next week, so I might take that week off. I'll try to get back on replying to reviews too! I think I might write an extra to this too, and I know I said the same thing about the last chapter, but that may or may not happen. **

**Please review and leave suggestions! **


	7. Surname

**A/N: SURPRISE CHAPTER! So I know I said I had midterms last week, but my testing schedule is actually worse this week. This was one I've been meaning to write for awhile, but I never really got around to it. I wrote this one quickly, so there might be some mistakes. I may upload a revision in the future. This was actually only supposed to be around 500 words, but I got around to 1000. I'm happy about that. Think of this as an apology for breaks 'cause I still need a few more.**

**Also, sorry I haven't replied to any reviews. Life has been sorta stressful lately.**

** Enjoy!**

* * *

**Surname**

"Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"Where did you get the surname Portgas from?" Marco asked.

Ace and Marco were currently spending a peaceful afternoon together in the park, lying down together on the soft grass. The sun shined brightly overhead and there was a slight breeze. The whole atmosphere was rather relaxing.

Ace sat up and looked at him in confusion. The question was pretty random. He decided to answer anyways. "It's my mother's," he said. "I told you that when you took me to meet Pops. Didn't I?"

The blond rubbed the back of his head almost sheepishly. "I guess so, yoi." He had actually forgotten, but he didn't want to tell Ace that. He would look like a horrible boyfriend. "What is she like?"

Ace did not answer. It was then Marco realized that he shouldn't have asked. Ace didn't live with his parents. He lived with his grandfather and brothers. The question had been a moment of stupidity. They had been enjoying their afternoon in silence, but his eagerness to know Ace took over. "Sorry. You don't have to answer, yoi."

"No. It's fine," Ace replied. The look of discomfort did not remove itself from Ace's face. Marco reached over to take his hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "I heard from my grandfather that she was stubborn."

"I see where you get it from."

Ace smiled briefly at his little quip. "You think you're so funny. Don't you?

Instead of replying with words, Marco sat up and pulled Ace into his lap. He laughed, significantly in a better mood than earlier. "Continue."

Ace quieted when he complied too the request. "Well she was also caring, I guess. I mean, she died giving birth to me…"

_Oh._ That's why Ace was so reluctant to speak about it.

"I'm sorry, Ace. I shouldn't have asked," Marco apologized, loosening his grip in case Ace needed some room.

The teen shook his head. "I told you it was fine, Marco," he insisted. "I never knew her, so it's less painful, but honor her by using her name." He turned a bit and smiled up at him. "I know that you don't want to hurt me, Marco. That's sweet and all, but I don't mind that you want to get to know me." He spun around completely, pushing Marco back down onto the grass. He laid his head on Marco's chest and closed his eyes, humming in contentment. It seems that he wasn't truly upset at all. "What about you?" he asked.

"Hm?" Now was Marco's turn to be confused. He wasn't expecting Ace to ask him anything back.

"I still need to get to know you too. Where does _your_ surname come from? You don't use Pops's surname."

Marco felt his cheeks heat up. Of course that's what he was asking. Marco had just asked the same question, so why wouldn't Ace want to know his answer?

Ace leaned in close, touching their noses together. "Are you blushing?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"C'mon, Marco! Answer!"

Marco sighed. He just couldn't say no, but his answer was kind of embarrassing.

"Birds," he whispered quickly.

He knew Ace had heard him because the corners of his mouth were twitching upwards. Still, Ace wanted to hear the answer again and audibly. "What was that?"

Damn it. Ace could be so smug. "I like birds, yoi," Marco replied, speaking clearly this time.

Ace giggled. Marco scowled. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want, yoi," he grumbled.

"Sorry, Marco! It just sounds so silly!"

"And it wasn't supposed to. You didn't let me finish."

Ace suppressed his giggles immediately, one or two more escaping his lips. "Okay. But what can you even say about _birds_?"

"Birds are the quintessence of freedom, Ace."

_Oh._ Now it was Ace's turn to have a 'well duh' moment. He should have known. They both cherished their freedom dearly.

"Sorry. I guess that was kinda obvious."

"Well, you wanted to know."

"I get what you mean, though," Ace said. He smiled. "Birds have wings, so they can fly anywhere they want!" He rolled off of Marco and back onto the grass. Reaching up and pointing at the sky he continued. "The sky is beautiful and they get to see it every day. I bet you wonder what it looks like to birds. Don't ya?"

Marco snorted. "I can always get in a plane."

Ace frowned, staring back at him intently. He lowered his hand. "You're too serious."

"Well, I guess that it isn't the same," Marco admitted. "And you're right. I _do _want to know what it feels like, yoi."

"See?" Ace grinned. "So why a phoenix?"

"I guess it really is Q&amp;A time, yoi."

"Marco…"

Marco rested his head in the grass and closed his eyes visualizing the avian form he admired so much. "I read about them in a book once." He breathed in the fresh air through his nose. Remembering the book made him feel light inside. "It was the first book Pops gave me when he adopted me."

Ace was a bit shocked, but he continued listening intently. He wanted to know about Marco. He could be patient for him.

"It was a picture book of mythological creatures," Marco smiled. "The phoenix was my favorite one. I liked how it looked better than the others. The blues and yellows were really bright. It looked beautiful, a symbol of life and freedom. Something just felt _right_ about it. Pops didn't protest when I told him that I wanted that to be my name, so he filed the paperwork and that was that."

"Awww… I can imagine a little Marco looking through a picture book!" Ace piped, giggling once again.

"Ace…"

"What? I like to think you were cute as a kid! Do you want me to think you were ugly?"

"Well, no, but I'm sure your brothers would give me your baby pictures if I asked~"

Ace blushed. "M-Marco!"

"Shut you up _real_ quick."

Ace stuck his tongue out at him childishly, only for Marco to nip back at him with his lips. They laughed into the kiss, snuggling up next to each other when they broke apart.

"Hey, Marco?"

"Yes?"

"I like our talks."

"Me too, Ace."

* * *

Bonus:

"Wait a minute…"

"What?"

"Is this why all your siblings give you bird nicknames?"

"Ace…"

"I knew it! Birdy Boy! Birdy Boy!"

"Shut up, yoi."

* * *

**So I'm still going to take breaks to write and edit more oneshots and to work on my story for onepiecebigbang. I hope you liked this! It was intended to just be fluff.**

**Please review!**


	8. Surprise Visit

**A/N: So this was actually supposed to go up on Sunday, but I was out all day. I have school off today, so I'm trying my best to work on writing. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ace bounced on the heels of his sneakers excitedly. Towering in front of him was a glass building: the glass building that contained Marco's studio.

The teen had been planning this visit for _at least_ a week. He hoped that Marco would be surprised. He slipped a hand into his shorts' pocket and checked for the visitor's pass that he had borrowed (stole) from Haruta. He smiled and took a deep breath, readying himself to enter the building. _'Alright, Ace! You're ready now!' _He placed his hand on the glass door and pushed it open.

The lobby was spacious and quite possibly one of the most expensive rooms Ace had ever seen. Unique statues and colored glass ornaments decorated the area and leather couches were everywhere. Sunlight shone in through the perfectly cleaned windows and a chandelier glittered high above. He swallowed nervously. _'It would be bad if I broke anything,'_ Ace thought. _'Of course Marco works in such a nice building.' _He could not help feeling at least a bit out of place. He was dressed so plainly, but the atrium was so nice-looking. _'I doubt _everyone_ here dresses like a million bucks,'_ he reassured himself.

Pushing down his uncharacteristic nervousness, he approached a rather bored-looking receptionist. "Hi!" the teen exclaimed, pulling the pass out of his pocket. "You mind?"

The receptionist raised an eyebrow and sighed, but pushed her glasses up to examine the pass nonetheless. She didn't say a word to Ace as she pushed a button on a phone and grunted, "This guy's comin' up." She gestured towards the elevators. "Floor number's on the pass."

"Thank you!" Ace smiled, though it didn't seem to help her mood at all. He walked away, leaving her to tap her fingers on her desk in boredom. He jabbed the elevator button, eager to see his boyfriend in action. Hearing the sound of a ding, he sprinted over to the available elevator before the doors even slid open.

"Floor 15," he whispered to himself as he stepped in and pushed the button. The elevator itself was pretty nice too. There was a mirror on the ceiling that perfectly reflected the space from above. The walls were cushioned in red and the floor was adorned with a clean, snow-white carpet.

Just as the doors began to close, someone called out, "Excuse me!" A woman slipped through the sliding doors at the last second, panting and out of breath. Her hair was tied in a disheveled ponytail and the binder in her arms was a mess, a few papers falling out here and there.

"Er- Hello," Ace greeted, still caught off guard by her sudden presence.

She didn't seem to notice him. She was busy muttering to herself, "What am I going to do? Just my luck that he's sick."

"Is something wrong?" The freckled teen asked, thinking it polite to make conversation.

The woman threw her arms into the air, making Ace jump back. "Everything's wrong!" she yelled. "The shoot is today, one of my models is missing, and _you_!" She turned to him and pointed her finger, but suddenly her expression froze. "_You_!"

"M'am?" Ace questioned apprehensively. The woman's staring was getting to be rather uncomfortable. Then she began poking and prodding at his biceps, continuing a silent examination. Ace was not really sure what to do. He was kind of creeped out, but it's not like he was about to yell at her or attack her.

"Hmmm..."

"Uh... Yes?"

"You're _perfect_!"

"Ehhh?!"

* * *

Marco sighed, lounging back in his chair. The director had left on a call fifteen minutes ago and still hadn't returned. On top of that, one of the models was missing, further delaying the shoot. He loosened his tie. It didn't seem as if the shoot was going to start soon anyways. He considered texting Ace, but he had already turned his phone off. Interruptions during work were unneeded.

The waiting was boring him. Resting his head in his hand, he closed his eyes. He hadn't even realized that he was falling asleep until he heard the shrill voice of the director call, "I need makeup! I need wardrobe! Hurry people! We have a shoot to do!"

Marco opened his eyes. _'I guess we're finally getting started.'_ He straightened his jacket and adjusted his tie, standing up from his chair.

"Oh, he's _so_ handsome!" one of the makeup artists cooed from afar.

"I know!" chimed one of the wardrobe workers. "Just look at those muscles!"

This confused Marco. _'What are they getting so worked up about? It's not like it's anything they haven't seen before.'_ Deciding to ignore the issue, he rolled his eyes at the staff's antics and headed to his place.

He was only standing in front of the backdrop when the director approached him. "Hey, superstar!"

"Director. You know I don't like that ridiculous nickname."

"Whatevs," she replied with a shrug. "Hey listen. I need you to show this guy the ropes. Can ya' do that for me?"

The blond raised an eyebrow. "And why would I have to do that?"

"E-excuse me, m'am," an extremely familiar voice stammered, still trying to sound polite. Marco knew that voice. He knew it very well. "I'm- er- not really here to-"

Marco gasped, interrupting him. "Ace?!" He couldn't believe that the freckled teen was standing in front of him _definitely_ wearing some of the clothes that were to be featured in the spread. He then realized that those girls were talking about Ace: _his_ Ace. They had stripped him naked to change his clothes and touched- _caressed-_ his face to apply makeup. The thought made Marco's head boil.

"Marco! This isn't- I mean-"

"Oh, good. So you know each other!" The director patted them both on the back. "Well then, Phoenix, I'll leave you to it!" She waltzed towards the photographers, giving orders as she went.

"What are you doing here?" Marco asked. He lay a hand on Ace's shoulder gently, trying to resist the urge to find wardrobe and makeup to rip their heads off. He had to be cautious of where he touched him, for they were not public with their relationship.

"I swear that I only came to visit you!" Ace whispered, making Marco's cheeks flush. It was flattering that Ace would think to visit him. The teen was just acting way too adorable (though Marco thought this a lot of the time anyways), and the vest and tie he was wearing only complimented the trait. "That lady said she was missing a model and then, she looked at me and then-"

"Just slow down, yoi."

The teen took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm just surprised, yoi. That's all. Besides," the blond smiled, "we can go to dinner after this is all over. Would you like that?"

Ace nodded and grinned. "Uh-huh!"

"Places, people!"

The teen turned to his boyfriend with an anxious look. "Marco, I don't really..."

The blond gave him a reassuring smile. "Just follow my lead," he whispered comfortingly. Marco did not take Ace's hand (it would've appeared suspicious), but Ace followed anyways. He didn't need Marco to pull him around like a little dog, though he still felt a bit lost. On the other hand, he didn't want to ruin Marco's day by being a horrible model, so the only thing he could do was his best. Right?

Placing his hands on the teen's shoulders, Marco positioned Ace in front of the backdrop. It was merely a green screen, but there were several different props set down like chairs and sofas. Marco was glad that they had normal props today. He felt that ace would be more nervous if there was something like a car in here. "Okay, Ace," Marco started. "I'm not certain what ways she wants you to pose, but just try to listen to her instructions. I'll come and help you if you need it. "

Now filled with determination, Ace nodded. "Got it! Anything else I should know?"

Marco almost took a step back. The complete one eighty in attitude from the teen's earlier confusion had caught him off guard. He couldn't resist smiling. _'That's the Ace I know.' _Remembering Ace's question, he answered, "Yes. Try to look serious. Smiling isn't very common when posing. Supposedly, it makes us appear sexier."

"S-sexier?" the freckled teen stuttered, but his curiosity _was_ piqued. He hadn't realized it, but since Marco was a model, his smile wasn't something seen by the public very often. It was no wonder why Ace melted inside every time the blond smiled at him. He quickly composed himself with a short shake of the head, hoping that Marco hadn't heard him. "Alright!"

Then the director's voice rang out, interrupting their conversation. "Places, people!"

They took a few group shots first. Following Marco's advice, he decided to keep a rather serious expression on his face. The director seemed rather impressed, but he didn't understand why. The other models were pretty nice also. They helped him out a lot, but Ace could have sworn that Marco was glaring at them when they did.

Afterward, they were pulled away for individual shots. Marco was up first. No one complained. They assumed it was to help set an example for Ace. Ace sat back in a plastic chair the crew had pulled up and prepared his self to take mental notes.

Unfortunately, Marco's posing was too distracting.

When he had referenced the sex appeal earlier, he wasn't kidding. Maybe finally seeing Marco in action was too much for Ace. He couldn't help trailing his eyes over the teasingly clothed muscles that belonged to his older lover. Every subtle movement gave Ace more reason to stare, and the fierce look in the blond's eyes only encouraged him. Looking closely, he saw Marco's lips upturn slightly into a smirk. Ace almost cursed the man. Marco knew exactly what he was doing to him, purposely making his self appear more and more enticing. Ace gulped, praying that spark of arousal would soon fade.

"Something wrong, Ace?" While the teen was lost in thought, Marco had finished up. He had approached him, smirk wider than ever.

The teen stayed silent, still speechless from watching his lover. Looking around warily, the blond took a step closer and reached out to run his fingers through Ace's hair. Ace shivered with anticipation, leaning towards the man's hand. Marco moved closer and craned his head downward-

"Alright, Ace!"

The two jumped back. The director had approached them suddenly, but fortunately she hadn't seemed to notice their touches.

"Marco, stay on the sides just in case you want to give him pointers. Okay? You're up, Freckles!" The director seized Ace's arm, much to his surprise, and dragged him onto the set. She stepped back and examined him for a moment. Ace supposed that she was deciding what she wanted him to do.

The director clapped loudly and squealed in excitement. "Yes!" She pushed him back a feet so that his rear was touching the armrest of a plush chair. "Okay," she said. "Lean back and stick out your legs at... this angle." Ace complied with her instructions. He actually felt pretty relaxed and comfortable. "And now." She lead his arms upward to that his hands were tangled in his own raven locks. "Perfect."

The word was like a trigger. Immediately after hearing it, the photographer approached and began snapping pictures with loud clicks and bright flashes. Ace had to put a serious expression on quickly. Though his position was comfortable, he actually felt a little self conscious. He realized that Marco was watching his every move just as he had done to him earlier. He tried not to shiver once more under Marco's gaze, which he saw out of the corner of his eye. Ace could have _sworn_ that Marco had licked his lips. He almost thought that Marco was going to jump his right then and there. He wouldn't have minded, despite their surroundings.

On the other hand, he wanted Marco to feel the same way he had earlier. He could at least try. Right?

Marco watched intently as Ace's muscles flexed under the fabric. That body belonged to him. Ace didn't know how flustered he looked under the lens of the camera. It was _sexy._ Marco couldn't help running his tongue over his own lips at the sight of Ace's tousled hair. He couldn't wait to kiss him as soon as they were done.

Suddenly, Ace parted his lips, tipping his head back and releasing a tiny moan. Marco cursed. Ace was trying to seduce him, just like he had done to him earlier. It wouldn't do to jump him right then and there, so he gripped his seat, hoping his forming erection was not too obvious. And then, a squeal- no- _several_ squeals. Makeup and wardrobe were absolutely freaking out and the director herself was jumping in joy. Marco wanted to snatch Ace up and take him away. He forgot that the others were looking upon Ace. _His _Ace. Distracted by his thought, he hadn't noticed that Ace had also finished. He was approaching him, smirking and swaying his hips teasingly.

"Something wrong, Marco~?"

Marco made sure to deliver a firm pinch to Ace's ass.

* * *

Ace was very much relieved when he was finally in his own clothes. Though he felt out of place when he first entered the building, His t-shirt and shorts were much more comfortable than anything they made him wear. Smiling in his comfort, he turned around to go find Marco, but he was interrupted.

"Hi there!" one of the makeup artists greeted cheerily.

"Hello," he shot back, not really sure what else to say.

"You were really, _really_ cool today!" she cheered. "You're a natural!"

"Thanks, I guess." In reality, there was no way he would have been able to do that without Marco.

"So," she started, taking a step closer. "If you're not busy later..."

"Ace," Marco interrupted suddenly. Neither of the makeup artist nor Ace heard him approach, but the teen could have sworn that he was growling. "Let's go."

He nodded back at the blond and walked away with him, not even giving the woman a second glance.

"So where do you want to eat, yoi?"

"Buffet."

"Figures."

They were about to enter the elevator and leave when the director stopped them. She smiled at Ace cheerily. "Well, Ace. You did a great job today! If you ever want to do this again," she pulled out a business card with a wink, "just give us a call!"

He took it apprehensively, but before he could say another word, Marco pulled him into the elevator hastily. The blond jabbed a few buttons and the doors slid closed immediately. "You're not doing this again," he informed the teen bluntly.

"Eh? I mean it wasn't the best thing in the world, but why are _you_ telling _me_ that?"

He moved Ace in front of him and looked straight into his eyes. "Because _I'm_ the only one that can look at you like that."

Ace felt himself blush. "You're so embarrassing!" he cried. He moved forward, wrapping his arms around the man's torso. "But I still love you."

The blond replied by kissing the top of his head. "I love you too."

"Who would've thought that Marco Phoenix could get jealous?"

"Shut up, yoi."

* * *

**Please review!**

**I may or may not have really evil one planned.**

**QUESTION: I wrote one that is seriously just meaningless smut because I was bored. It really doesn't have any story, but it is connected to this. Do any of you want to see it?**


	9. Mistletoe is so Cliché

**A/N: I'm sorry for not updating in like a month! School just made me so tired and I've been in a kinda slump lately. But it's Christmas! I thought it would be fitting to make a Christmas special! This wasn't supposed to be so angsty btw (oops).**

**I would also like to dedicate this to my opsecretsanta Azure. They haven't revealed themselves to me yet, but when they do, I'll probably go back and put their name in. **

* * *

Ace sighed, swirling his cup of punch (which thankfully did not contain alcohol this time) in his clear, plastic cup. He didn't even know why he agreed to come to this stupid party in the first place. There wasn't even that much food! There were tiny plates of hors d'oeuvres being served around by waiters, but the small portions of food weren't nearly enough to satiate his monstrous appetite. Marco knew this, so why didn't they get dinner beforehand? Why were they even here? Marco didn't really want to go either.

Across the room, Robin met his glance, and then he remembered the answer.

Publicity.

Apparently, and Ace had just before been informed of this, Marco's studio held a Christmas party every single year for the models. Thankfully, it was not held on Christmas Day itself. Marco (being the shooting star of the company and all) was expected to attend every single one, so it's not like he would be able to refuse. Robin understood this, and though she usually worked Marco's schedule around his relationship with Ace, she was still his manager and it was her job to make the best decision. Marco didn't care too much for publicity, but the press would be on his ass if he was "suspiciously missing" from the annual event.

Each of the models both male and female was allowed one guest (though Robin was allowed in as well since she was Marco's manager), so it was pretty crowded. Usually Ave could handle being at a party, but he just didn't like this place. He couldn't quite pinpoint the reason. He already complained about the food, but that's not what was unsettling to him. The other guests weren't too bad, though some of them were quite snobbish. He wasn't exactly alone in a corner. He already knew some of Marco's fellow models from the visits that he made to the studio. Why did he feel such discomfort?

Roaming his eyes around the room once more, he found his other answer.

Marco had been dragged off by some higher ups, and they were standing in a circle, laughing and talking merrily. He left Ace alone (Ace wasn't even talking to Robin since she was making her own conversation). Ace couldn't help but feel miffed. It was close to Christmas and he just wanted to spend time with Marco. But _nooooo_. Marco had to spend time with these other models, maybe a corporate executive or two, and an actor sprinkled here and there (he was pretty sure he saw Boa Hancock too, but he wanted to avoid answering questions about Luffy).

That was also an issue: the other celebrities. Because of this, paparazzi were absolutely _everywhere_. He and Marco couldn't afford to be intimate in any way. It was already suspicious enough that he was Marco's guest. He had already been approached by a few of the strange journalists, but he heeded Marco's advice, walking away as soon as the question, "So who are you?" left their mouths.

God he felt like such a wallflower. Why couldn't he work up the nerve to talk to anyone? Oh right. All of these people were way out of his league. Maybe... including Marco. Ace didn't even belong here.

As if he was sensing his partner's distressed thoughts, Marco waved at the group he was currently conversing with and began making his way towards him. He smiled and Ace positively beamed back. He hated feeling alone in this room. Maybe they could finally leave.

Unfortunately, the group saw Marco's earlier wave as a sign to follow him over to Ace. The shine in the freckled boy's eyes immediately vanished, but Ace kept his smile up like a mask. Marco seemed to notice them following, but he didn't seem to mind. "Hey, Ace," he whispered when he arrived. The group circled around the two, smiling in welcome, but to Ace it was fake.

"Everyone, this is my friend Ace," Marco introduced with a confident smile and no hesitation. Ace knew that he didn't want their relationship to be public, but knowing that fact didn't lessen the pain that shot through Ace's heart.

"Hello," he greeted. They said their names back, but Ace forgot them quickly. They continued their conversation where they left off as if Ace was not even there. _'Marco shouldn't have even come over here if this was going to happen,'_ Ace thought, gripping his cup tighter. He avoided speaking at all. They probably wouldn't want to talk to someone like him anyways. Whatever they were talking about, Ace couldn't find a way to relate. He instead chose to sip at his soda quietly.

But eventually he ran out. This would be the perfect opportunity to escape. The group was too busy talking, so Ace would be able to slip away easily. He turned away and headed towards the drink table. Of course there were waiters waltzing around pouring alcohol, but Marco wouldn't allow him to drink underage. The table was relatively abandoned as most people went without drinks, or drank the alcohol instead. Ace picked up the punch ladle and poured about halfway. He glanced back as he poured, still feeling out of place. Maybe he should have taken this as an opportunity to escape the party entirely. He sighed, preparing to head back.

Suddenly, Ace heard gasps and cheers. He spun around, almost dropping his punch. There was Marco, standing lip-locked with what Ace supposed was a gorgeous, blonde model. A gorgeous, blonde, _female_ model.

His fingers loosened around his cup in shock, letting his cup fall to the floor and spilling its contents. No one noticed. They were too busy cheering at the sight in front of them. The crushing feeling in Ace's heart hit him immediately. He wanted to scream. He wanted to pull the girl off of Marco and kiss him fiercely. But they were in public, and there was nothing Ace could do.

Before he knew it, his feet had carried him out of the party, hand slammed against the elevator button. The doors slid shut behind him and he broke down, sobs wracking his body as he slid down the cushioned wall. His mind was blank. He couldn't think. It felt like he was suffocating. He needed some fresh air. Leaving the party was really the best thing for him.

But as the doors slid open, Ace realized that in his haste to leave he accidentally brought himself to the roof.

* * *

Marco hadn't even wanted to come to this party in the first place. It took place every year and usually, it was the same old thing. But for some reason, he was actually enjoying himself this year! Maybe it was because he saw some friends (sort of) that he hadn't worked with in ages. He ended up talking to one of them, Boa Hancock, for a while. She hated men, but they always had a sort of respect for each other. She was one of the few other celebrities that knew about his sexuality. Speaking of that, he couldn't wait to introduce her to Ace.

_'Where is Ace anyways?_' he wondered. Marco had been roped off into a conversation with the Director and some other models, so he had lost track of his young lover. He should have been keeping an eye on him! Maybe he should have held Ace's hand- wait. No. That was a bad idea. The press was everywhere, and if they caught wind of his and Ace's relationship, the boy's life would be ruined. Marco would do absolutely anything to prevent that from happening.

"So, Marco. Who's your guest?" One of the girls, Veronica, asked. "Wait. Don't tell me. A girlfriend?" She trailed a finger up his arm. Marco didn't mind since it didn't really affect him. She had always been like this towards Marco: an extreme flirt. But Marco deflected her advances for obvious reasons.

Another guy nudged his elbow when she said this.

Marco laughed, shaking his head. "Not at all," he replied. It wasn't exactly a lie, but he had no problem lying if it was for Ace. "He's a friend."

"And where is he?"

That was certainly a good question. Marco searched the room again; face brightening when he finally spotted Ace against the wall. Suddenly, he felt guilt run through him. How could he leave Ace alone like that? "There he is!" he exclaimed, maybe a bit to quickly. "I thought I lost him, yoi. I think I should go check up on him." He stepped away with a small wave.

Then he heard the Director gasp behind him. "Is that who I think it is?" She followed Marco, the test of the models in tow. "It is!" she continued. "That's the young man that filled in Xander that day! I'd love to talk with him again!"

The rest of the group voiced their agreement. Who was Marco to refuse? It would be nice for Ace to get to know everyone anyways.

Marco continued walking over towards Ace, lips turned upwards into a smile. "Hey, Ace," he whispered before the group had the chance to arrange themselves around them. Once they did, Marco placed a hand on Ace's shoulder and said, "Everyone, this is my friend Ace."

"Hello," Ace greeted almost... shyly? That was strange, but admittedly, Marco found it somewhat cute.

Somehow, the conversation from earlier (what they were talking about before they went over to Ace) picked up right where they left off.

A while later, Veronica tapped his shoulder once again. "So, Marco. What your favorite holiday tradition?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

_'What a strange question to ask,_' he mused. "None in particular, yoi."

"Really?" She seemed a bit disappointed, but her face returned to her flirty expression right away. "Well mine? Mine's mistletoe~"

What?

Without moving his head, Marco looked upwards. Someone had decided that it would be funny to hold a sprig of mistletoe over their heads. Fuck.

But before Marco could stop her, Veronica grabbed the front of Marco's shirt and brought their lips together.

No. This could not be happening. Marco knew it was holiday tradition, but he couldn't do this! Not to Ace. Yet it would look too suspicious for him to shove her away. All he could do was stand there and suffer as the crowd cheered around him, fully supporting of this new development. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Robin glaring at him disapprovingly. Shit.

They finally broke away. Most of the party goers went back to what they were doing, but some of them came over to pat Marco on the back and congratulate him. He didn't pay attention to them. He was trying to find Ace, who vanished.

"How about it?" Veronica asked, pulling Marco away from his search. "You and me. It will be great~" She smiled up at him, leaning in close.

Damn it. Only Ace was allowed to be this close to him.

"I don't date, Veronica," he replied bluntly. "Where's Ace? We need to get going soon."

"Wait-"

"He went to get some more punch."

"Thank you, Director."

He walked away, hoping that he didn't appear too outwardly cold. Marco had to cross the entire room to get to the drinks, so his next confrontation would be unavoidable.

"Excuse me, Marco," Robin started. Marco felt his anger replaced with a bit of fear. He knew Robin couldn't hurt him, but she could certainly make his life hell if anything bad happened. "Care to explain?"

"It was mistletoe, yoi." Good. That went more smoothly than he thought. "It meant nothing."

"Did it really?" She inquired as if doubting everything she knew about him.

"Damn it, Robin!" Marco hissed. "You know I-"

"I am well aware. Though, I'm sure you'd like to know that it was not mistletoe. That was a sprig of holly."

Marco froze. How could she possibly know that? Oh right. He almost forgot how much she loved gardening. So really, he should be angry at himself. He _allowed_ himself to be kissed.

"Now are you going to get Ace?"

"Where is he, yoi?"

"If that spilled punch says anything, I'd say that he ran."

He needed to go after Ace _now_. With a quick "thank you" to Robin, he headed to the nearest exit. His finger jammed into the button that called the elevator and he looked up. It was headed from the roof. Marco sighed in relief. At least Ace hadn't gone out alone at this hour.

The doors slid open and he pressed the button for the roof as he stepped inside. The damn thing couldn't move fast enough. Marco needed to reach Ace. He needed to talk with him.

* * *

The air was cold up on the roof. Ace was forced to draw his coat around himself to protect himself from the wind. Normally, he wasn't affected by the cold, but the sinking feeling in his heart made him feel vulnerable. He slowly made his way over to the railing, gloved hand trailing across the freezing metal.

_'Why?'_ he asked himself. _'Why? Why did this have to happen? Why now?'_ The tears were starting to flow again. The warmth against his cheeks from them somehow made him feel colder inside.

"Some Christmas," he laughed bitterly, knowing that he would not get a response. This really sucked. This year would have been his first Christmas with Marco, but instead of spending time with him, Marco kissed someone else: a girl to be precise.

If only that hadn't gone to this stupid party in the first place! Ace would never have been able to show that much affection towards Marco at this place where there were celebrities, company executives, and nosy journalists. He would never have been able to show any sort of affection anywhere at all really! Because... Because...

"Ace!" Marco yelled. The teen heard footsteps approaching, but he didn't show any signs of acknowledgement.

Marco sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, yoi. I found you." It had been just as he suspected. Ace had been on the roof. Why? That didn't matter at all right now. He hugged his lover from behind, whispering into his ears and running his hands through raven hair reassuringly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ace."

Ace didn't respond.

Marco pulled away a bit, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

There were a few more seconds of drawn out silence before Ace finally responded, slowly and hesitantly. "Marco... Maybe we should just end it."

Marco felt his entire world stop when the meaning of those words reached his mind. _'No... No... No. No. Nonono! This can't...'_

"What?" he brought out, not realizing that his voice was shaking. "Why? If this is about that kiss, it didn't mean anything! I love you, yoi!" His words were desperate, pleading.

"You don't get it!" Ace finally turned towards him pushing him away.

"What don't I get?"

"You're embarrassed just to be seen with me!" Ace cried.

Marco's panic rose, breathing turning heavier. "Why would you ever think that?"

It would hurt Ace to say all this, a reminder of what had happened, but it needed to be said. It needed to be made clear. "You think I don't know?" Ace started quietly. "Every time we go to the park, we go to the emptiest part!" His voice escalated with every word. "Every time you take me out to eat, you get a private room or pick the most secluded corner! You just don't want to be seen in public with me!"

Oh god. He never told Ace.

"You're just so out of my league!" He continued, starting to sob. "You're some superstar model, and I'm just some kid that didn't even want to go to college! Why would we even work together?"

"Ace," Marco breathed, tensed from the words said. Anything could make this situation go worse at any moment. "Please. I need you. Don't do this to me, yoi."

"Why do you keep doing this to me then?" Ace whimpered.

Marco hated seeing Ace this way, so miserable, so vulnerable. It only ever happened once before when he discovered that picture in Ace's childhood albums. He promised that he would never let Ace cry again, and now it was happening. Now, it was Marco's fault. Is this why Ace wanted to leave? He couldn't stand that thought. He needed to do something.

Marco felt a wet warmth run down his own cheek as he embraced Ace once more and buried his face into his lover's neck.

"M-Marco?" Ace exclaimed.

"The press..." Marco started. "They can make your life a living hell, yoi. You will never rest. Your family, your friends... Nothing will be private. The things they say, the things they do... I never want you to experience what I had to go through. It took Pops a lot of work to protect our personal information."

Ace felt something wet hit his neck. No way. Was Marco...?

"I love you so much, yoi. I just want to protect you. Please don't leave me. Please..."

Ace had never seen Marco so vulnerable. Marco was always so strong, and Ace made him this way. It was his fault. He hugged Marco back and he didn't want to let go. He almost lost Marco and it was his fault. Why did he even think about doing that? He loved Marco so much!

"I'm sorry, Marco!" Ace sobbed back. "I didn't know- I didn't... I just hated that you kissed that girl here where you can't kiss me! I don't want to lose you! I never-"

Marco pulled back enough so that they were staring into each other's eyes. "Make me forget," he demanded. The volume of his voice dropped. "And then you can forget too."

Ace knew immediately what needed to be done. He raised his hands to Marco's cheeks and kissed him as fiercely as he wanted to earlier. Marco wrapped his arms around Ace's waist tighter and kissed back forcefully, lifting Ace, who gasped into Marco's mouth, ever so slightly off the ground. It was just the two of them now. They could finally be free with each other.

When they broke away, they kept their foreheads together, looking into each other's eyes passionately.

"I love you, Marco."

"As do I, Ace."

Suddenly, Ace glanced upward, smiling in delight. "It's snowing, Marco!"

"I see that, yoi," he chuckled.

Snowflakes gently fell from the night sky, Ace holding Marco's hand as he stared in wonder. "It's beautiful," he breathed.

"It sure is," Marco agreed, though he was still staring at Ace. "Ace."

"Yeah, Marco?"

"Let's leave right now. We can do something together. Just the two of us."

"I'd really like that. How about ice-skating?"

Marco raised an eyebrow teasingly. "You just want me to support you on the ice. Don't you?"

"Hey!" Ace pouted. "I'll have you know that I'm pretty good!"

"Oh really?" Marco gathered Ace into his arms, making him laugh in surprise. "Well then you'll just have to show me."

"Alright then!"

"Merry Christmas, Ace."

"Merry Christmas."

* * *

**So I have some oneshots written, so maybe I can update more frequently. I'll have one up for New Years/Ace's birthday of course!'**

**Please review!**


	10. January 1st

**A/N: This might be a little late (I was exhausted from being up all night) and a little short (I literally finished this at 12:12am), but I hope you like it!**

**Happy New Year, everyone!**

* * *

Ace liked taking walks. The fresh air was good for him. Not only was it a reminder of freedom, it was also a good way to get some exercise, especially since he no longer had a definite training location. Sabo said they had to stop training in the backyard lest they destroy a wall of their house. They really needed to find a new space for training. He wondered if there was a space in Pops's house.

Anyways, Ace liked taking walks. Was that said already? The fresh air was nice. He wasn't allowed to drive many places (he shouldn't have been driving _at all_) because of his narcolepsy. It was a nice way to keep himself awake, though he occasionally collapsed anyways. This worried Marco greatly, so the man walked with Ace whenever he was around. Sadly and disappointingly, e took some of the fun out of Ace's walks (though he _did_ add another brand of fun).

He didn't let Ace pick up all the cool things he found on his walks.

Sometimes Ace would luckily find a couple of beri bills on the ground. Maybe a dropped key-chain or two. Of course there were also... _questionable_ things (he shuddered just thinking about how that used condom ended up on the sidewalk). Those he didn't opt to pick up or even go near. But _this_, on the other hand, was possibly the best "walk treasure" Ace had discovered yet.

In front of him was standing the most _adorable_ beagle puppy that he had ever seen.

Okay. Usually, Ace would never admit things cute and adorable. It would be much too embarrassing. But it just had these big, shining eyes and perked ears that made his heart melt! Ace whistled to get its attention. Oh my goodness. It just tipped its head at him!

"Hey... Er-" he looked down, "boy. How ya' doing?" He held out his fingers and wiggled them in front of the puppy's face.

The puppy sniffed his fingers before licking them with its tiny tongue and yipping happily. Ace almost screamed. His heart had completely melted now. This puppy was just the most precious thing!

And luckily for Ace, he didn't seem to have a collar; therefore, he probably didn't have an owner.

"You poor thing." He hoisted it up to his chest carefully. "Looks like you'll just have to come with me!"

* * *

Thankfully, neither Luffy nor Sabo were home, and Marco had not arrived yet. This was perfect. He could introduce the puppy nicely into the home.

"Here you, little guy," he said, setting the puppy down on the carpet. He stared at Ace with confusion, looking as if he had never touched such a material before. He flopped down onto his back. "So cute," Ace whispered to himself, reaching out a finger to rub its belly.

"What should I call you then?" he wondered, moving back to cross his legs. "I can't keep calling you 'boy.'"

The puppy sat up and began wandering around the living room while Ace listed off names to himself. "Ace Jr.? Marco Jr.? No... That would be better for a pet bird, and you're way better than a bird. Don't tell Marco I said that." Despite there being no possible way for that to happen, Ace took the puppy's wagging tail as a yes. "Hm..."

And then the puppy pawed at something at the edge of the coffee table, knocking it onto the ground.

"Hey!" Ace called, rushing over to pick it up. The puppy shook its tail, unaware that it did something bad. "You can't just go around-" Ace stopped, spotting what had fallen. It was some playing cards that he had never cleaned up, and of course in his hand he held the Ace of Spades.

"That's perfect!" he exclaimed. He beamed at the puppy, rubbing its head. "You'll be Spade because I'm Ace!"

The puppy seemed to like that name because he yipped again and spun in a circle.

"We're the perfect pair!" Ace cheered. "Now let's find you something to eat!"

After doing some research on his phone, Ace decided that it would be safe to share his steak sandwich with Spade. While he was doing that, he got a text from Marco saying that he would not be able to make it in time. Oh well. He would show Spade to Marco tomorrow. Now, he would just play with the cutie!

He spent the afternoon throwing around random things seeing if Spade would go get them. He succeeded with a ball of old socks. The beagle seemed to take a liking to it. They also played tug-of-war. That was certainly entertaining. The little pup tried so hard, but there was no way that he could win against Ace! After that, he ended up chasing Spade around the house, exhausting both of them afterward. They had become fast friends, but now it was time for some rest. Ace allowed the little guy to hop into bed with him and they fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

That tiny warmth beside him had gone.

Ace had just awoken when he noticed that Spade wasn't curled up with him. Sitting up, he looked around, and the beagle was nowhere to be seen. That didn't make any sense. Ace was sure that he shut the door when he fell asleep and it was shut now. That dog sure wasn't a dream, so where was he?

He heard the door open and his attention snapped there. "So you're awake," Sabo said. He looked a bit... annoyed. Does that mean that he saw...?

"Er- hey, Sabo. I know this is a weird question, but-"

"You're wondering if I've seen that dog that somehow ended up in your bed," he stated bluntly.

"Yeah! Heh." Ace rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Funny story 'bout that. Well...?"

Sabo sighed. "I'm not sure you'll like that answer."

Ace froze. Wait. Did that mean-

"Marco came here earlier and took him. Said that it wasn't safe to keep a stray without-"

"What?!" Ace leaped up, snatching his phone from his bedside table. He punched in Marco's contact and started talking as soon as the other picked up.

"Marco, Where's Spade?" he shot.

"Ace... It's not safe to keep a stray in the house. There's a lot of-"

Whatever Marco had to say, Ace didn't want to listen. "He could've played with Stefan and everything! Why did you take him?"

"Ace-"

"No! I hate you!" He hung up.

Meanwhile at the Moby Dick, Marco sighed. "I didn't mean to anger him, yoi."

"I know you like surprising him, Marco dear, but maybe you went a little too far."

"Just trust me, Izo."

* * *

Ace was still angry at him. To be fair, Marco should have explained the situation to him, but the boy was too stubborn to respond to his text or calls.

And now it was New Year's Eve and Ace bad showed up to the party with a pout on his face. Well, he _had_ been smiling, but the pout appeared as soon as he saw Marco. He was still as stubborn as ever.

Honestly, Marco didn't think that Ace would be this angry (the silent treatment wasn't befitting of someone like him). Ace was pretty good at holding grudges he must say.

It was time that he pulled Ace aside to talk.

He approached Ace from behind, gripping the freckled boy's shoulder firmly preventing him from escaping. "Are you going to talk to me, yoi? It's New Year's Eve."

Ace frowned at him refusing to speak.

Luckily, Marco knew a few things that might get some words out of Ace, "You know," he started, bringing out a teasing tone, "you might not get a midnight kiss from me if you won't talk~"

Marco noticed Ace's expression falter.

"I guess you'll have to wait another year."

He turned away only to have Ace grab his wrist. "You're mean," he stated, pouting.

"Do tell."

"Spade was just too cute!" he whined. He pointed at Marco accusingly. "And _you_ took him! I'm responsible to keep a dog!"

"I never said you weren't, yoi."

"You suck."

Marco sighed. Maybe it was time he come clean. "Come with me." He took Ace's hand and dragged him off before any protests could be made.

"Oi, Marco! What gives?" Ace asked when they stopped in front of one of the living rooms.

Marco just smiled at him. "Just wait. This will make up for it." He opened the door and a high-pitched yip came out. When Ace heard it, his face brightened.

The lights were flipped on and sitting there was little beagle puppy Spade with a bow around his neck. He bounded up to Ace happily, wagging his tail.

"Spade!" Ace exclaimed. He held Spade up and the puppy licked his face.

"It's not safe to keep a stray in the house," Marco started. He took a seat on the couch near Ace. "So I made sure that the little guy had all his shots, yoi. I also bought all the supplies you need. He's already wearing his collar."

Spade sat proudly displaying his shining tag.

Ace turned to his older lover, eyes bright. "Wow, Marco! I can't believe you did all this!"

"It was nothing, Ace." Marco leaned down, kissing Ace's forehead. "Happy early birthday."

He heard Ace gasp and he pulled away to see eyes widened from shock. "B-but how?" Ace stuttered. "I never told you."

Marco ruffled his hair. "I always wondered why you never told me," he said. "Your brothers told me that you never liked making a big deal of it, but I wanted to make you happy this year." He dropped his voice low and huskily whispered into Ace's ear, "And since tomorrow is your birthday, we can do _whatever... you... want_."

Marco could feel Ace melt into his arms.

"Now let's go countdown."

"Okay!"

When they arrived back at the party (Ace still cradling Spade in one arm carefully), the mood was high as everyone counted down to the New Year. Pops smiled proudly at them, raising his glass.

"Ready, Ace?"

"5!"

"4!"

"Yeah, Marco."

"3!"

"2!"

They leaned in, foreheads touching.

"1!"

Their first kiss of the year was wonderful, one that they would surely never forget.

* * *

**Please review!**


	11. Whitebeard

**A/N: So I don't know when this is going to go up (probably Sunday or Monday), but sorry since I was actually going to put this up about a week ago. Look on the bright side! I will probably have one up next week two because there's a continuation to this one (in a way).**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ace couldn't help his nervous fidgeting as he stood in front of his closet. Currently, he was stripped down to his boxers, trying to decide how to dress. On any other occasion, Ace wouldn't have cared what to wear when meeting someone, but Whitebeard was _Marco's father_! He couldn't just show up looking sloppy or lazy. He didn't want to disappoint Marco, and things wouldn't go so well if he made a bad impression.

He sighed. "Should I go all out? Or maybe I can just wear a dress shirt," He mumbled to himself. Despite his boyfriend being a model, Ace himself was not very experienced with the subject fashion (he didn't even own many formal clothes in the first place). What if Whitebeard held him to that same standard? This decision was just way too hard to make on his own. "Maybe I can ask Marco what he thinks."

Ace turned to the clock and frowned. It was 5:30, and Marco was supposed to be picking him up soon. He didn't want to look bad to Marco as well by being unprepared. _'Damn it! What should I do?'_ he panicked.

As Ace was lost in his thought, the door suddenly opened, revealing Marco and sending a jolt of surprise through Ace's half-naked body. "Ace, are you re-" He stopped and a blush came to his cheeks. When he saw what was in front of him, he could not move, for he had been robbed of coherent thought. He was too mesmerized by Ace's muscular torso once again.

"M-Marco?!" Ace exclaimed, a blush breaking out across his freckled cheeks. Although he had no real reason to be embarrassed (Marco had seen him like this before), he was still surprised. He hadn't heard the doorbell, so how was he supposed to know that someone (that someone being _Marco)_ would walk in on him? "When did you get here?"

Marco stuttered back, still a bit flustered from seeing Ace in his boxers. "Y-your brother saw me pull up and let me in." He immediately turned his head in an attempt to compose his self. "Ace, why are you... undressed?"

Blushing, he responded, "I'm sorry, Marco! I just really, really wanted to impress your dad, and he's _Whitebeard_ and all, so I don't want to be stupid and make you look bad by looking terrible or something, and-"

He was interrupted by Marco, who had gotten over his own embarrassment and stepped closer to press a finger to his lips, causing the teen's cheeks to flush a deeper shade of red. It was cute how concerned he was.

"It's alright, Ace," Marco reassured. He lowered his hand and walked over to Ace's closet, opening it. He stared at the choices for a few seconds before pulling out a simple, yellow shirt and a pair of shorts. "Put these on, Ace," he said as he handed them to him. "I'll meet you downstairs." With a tiny smile, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Ace did as Marco told, but when he was finally dressed, he looked at himself in the mirror hesitantly. He looked so casual, so plain. Was this really okay to meet Marco's father in? Well, that's exactly what he asked when arriving downstairs.

"You look fine, Ace," Marco said. "Pops won't mind. Trust me, yoi."

"If you say so," he answered, though he was not completely confident.

Tonight, the two would be visiting Marco's house for the first time since Ace's prom. Marco hadn't wanted Ace to get the wrong idea by bringing him to the house after they starting officially dating, and he definitely hadn't wanted _his siblings_ to get the wrong idea. They usually settled for Marco picking Ace up. Fortunately, most of his family would be out tonight since it was Saturday. He convinced Pops to stay home and meet Ace, to which the man happily complied. He was rather eager to meet the teen: the person who made his son so happy.

Whitebeard. Everyone knew who Whitebeard was. He was both an important public figure (known for his work with orphanages among other things) _and _Marco's father, so it goes without saying that Ace was nervous. His past experience with meeting a few of Marco's other siblings hadn't gone too well either. This only added to Ace's anxiety. Despite all this, the teen kept a brave face as they pulled into the driveways of the elegant mansion. He still wanted to make a good impression, and a cowardly exterior would do just the opposite.

"Are you ready?" Marco asked before they entered the house.

Ace shrugged. "I guess."

"Alright, then." He momentarily let go of Ace's hand to unlock one of the doors. "Come," he said. "Pops is waiting for us in the dining room, yoi."

As Marco led Ace through the house to the dining room, Ace finally had time to notice how large the place was. The first time he was here, he was being rushed. At the time, Marco didn't want to encounter any of his siblings. He failed miserably considering the fiasco with Thatch. Izo, Jozu, and Haruta's comments hadn't helped in the slightest. Now Ace saw that the hallways stretched upwards, the doors had wider arches, etc.. He assumed that it was easier to accommodate all of Marco's family that way.

But when they arrived at their destination, it was all made clear.

The giant of a man sat in at the end of a long table. Places were set for the three of them at the seats near him. "Welcome back, son." he greeted, grinning widely. His voice boomed out across the room, echo only amplifying it.

Marco smiled back, but it was different from the charming smile he used on the public. This one was filled with genuine happiness: the kind that reached one's eyes. He led Ace over to his father. Whitebeard continued smiling at them as he towered above. "Pops, this is Ace."

Ace bowed politely, "It's nice to meet you, Whitebeard sir."

"Gurarara!" he laughed, sending a strange warmth through Ace's body. Whitebeard wasn't nearly intimidating as he was expecting. From what he knew, Ace thought he would be a stern business man who was on call 24/7, but seeing that he was in no hurry to eat and get back to work as Ace had so often seen with men of his standing in TV shows and movies, he was rather relaxed. "Relax! There's no need to be so formal. Call me Pops, son. You're already part of the family."

The statement caught both Ace and (judging by the look on his face) Marco off guard. Ace was surprised that Whitebeard was so quick to accept him, while Marco was slightly embarrassed by his father's insinuation.

"Sit down, my sons."

It felt strange to be addressed as "son". Ace wasn't sure if he liked it all that much. It would be impolite to refuse though, especially with Marco right next to him. _'I won't let it bother me,' _he told himself with determination. This was Marco's father after all. He didn't want to antagonize the man; therefore, pushing Marco away.

Marco pulled his chair out for him and Ace sat gratefully. His legs were still a bit shaky from his earlier nervousness, which had not completely disappeared. It was now that he realized how hungry he was. He must have been so overwhelmed that he did not notice. His stomach growled and he flushed. Whitebeard let out another booming laugh. "Sorry, son! I'll call in the food."

With a shout, some people filed into the room wheeling carts of food: way too much for three people. "Marco informed me of your appetite beforehand," he explained as food was set in front of them. Ace should have been embarrassed that Marco would tell him this, but he was too busy drooling over the scrumptious looking feast to care.

"I think we should eat before we talk, Pops," Marco chuckled, ruffling Ace's hair. The teen responded by batting his hand away while pouting.

"Of course, son." Pops grinned. At this, Ace began eagerly piling food on his plate, ready to devour the meal.

Every morsel had been absolutely delicious. He didn't know that Marco's family had cooks and other housekeepers, but then again, the place was so large that it would've been hard for the family to take care of it on their own. Besides, judging by the way Whitebeard smiled at the staff, he considered them family as well.

When he was finished, he leaned back in his chair, satisfied. He blushed, suddenly remembering his manners. "Th-Thank you for the meal!" he stuttered hastily, thinking himself rude. He should have said it before hand. This must have shown on his face because Marco reached over and squeezed his hand in reassurance.

He grinned at Marco, who was looking at him with amusement. Ace was confused at this until Marco leaned over and wiped his chin with a napkin. "Marco!"

After a delicious dinner (Ace still could not believe that Marco ate like this normally), they moved into the living room. It was a different one from the one Izo had pulled Ace into on his first visit. There was a large armchair in the middle of the room (probably for Whitebeard, Ace assumed) and couches around it. There were bookshelves on either side of a fireplace, which were crowded with family photos resting atop the mantle.

"I see that you make my son very happy, Ace," Whitebeard smiled from his chair. Marco and Ace were sitting on the couch closest to him, holding each others hands.

Ace rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, I guess."

"Of course he does," Marco said immediately after, grabbing Ace's hand. Ace wanted to tell him that he was embarrassing, but the comment was actually rather flattering. He liked to think that he made Marco happy.

"Marco's told me much about you. So you're one of Garp's brats. Are you?"

"Sorry about him," Ace brought out quickly. He could only imagine what kind of things the shitty gramps told them.

"Don't apologize. I've been dealing with him since before you were born!"

"Really?" Ace hadn't realized that his grandfather knew him for that long.

Whitebeard nodded. "I knew that he had a son, but I wasn't aware that Dragon had children."

"Dragon?" Marco asked. "Isn't that-"

"Oh no," Ace interjected. "I'm adopted. Luffy's the only one that's biologically related to Gramps."

"I'm surprised that he would adopt. He doesn't seem the type," Whitebeard remarked. "You'll fit right in then."

"Right. You don't have the same surname," Marco remarked.

"Yep! My full name is Portgas D. Ace," he beamed proudly.

"Portgas?" Whitebeard's expression had turned thoughtful, leaving Ace to wonder why he was lingering so long on the name. "That sounds somewhat familiar,"

Ace froze. He hoped his breathing was still normal, but he doubted it. There was no way. Right? He hadn't realized where that conversation was heading. Ace had almost forgotten one of the most important things about Whitebeard. He was rivals with that man. If Whitebeard knew who his mother was, then he might figure that his father was- No. He did not want to think of that.

But what if it did happen? Then what? Would he call the authorities? He certainly had reason to considering his position. There was no way that he would accept his relationship with Marco if that happened. Well, Marco wouldn't even want him if that happened either way. The mere chance of it happening frightened him to his very core.

Marco himself had felt Ace tense under his grip. Concerned for his obviously uncomfortable boyfriend, he was about to change the subject, but Ace quickly snapped out of his daze and answered, "It was my mother's name. I don't think you've ever met her."

Seeing his discomfort, Whitebeard nodded. "I apologize, son."

Though the nickname "son" seemed to make things worse, Ace kept his brave face. Whitebeard was a caring man. This is what Ace believed after meeting him. He meant no harm. "Don't worry about it."

A tense silence hung in the air for a few seconds before the man leaned back and changed subjects. "So tell me how you two met."

The sort of "get-to-know-you" conversations continued throughout the evening, though Ace never relaxed completely. Whitebeard was a good man. He was legitimately interested in what Ace had to say. Ace liked him, but the facts prevented him from saying everything he wanted.

Marco tried to comfort him with subtle gestures (Ace was embarrassed by cobvious forms of PDA), but nothing worked. He continued tracing circles on the back of his hand nonetheless. Eventually, it got late, and Marco wanted to drive Ace back before any of his siblings got home and caused more chaos for them. They said farewell to Whitebeard, who waved them off with a smile and told Ace to come around again ("You are welcome here any time," he had stated). Despite his obvious tension, Ace accepted the offer and they left, a silence enveloping the car.

Ace did not speak for the entire car ride. Marco respected this. He was probably still uncomfortable and maybe he was a little tired.

The silence was only broken once they had pulled into the driveway.

"Are you okay, Ace?"

"Yeah," Ace responded softly.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's just that," he paused, looking away, "I didn't like where that conversation was leading."

Marco understood completely. He had said Portgas was his mother's name and not his father's. Considering Ace's background and Ace's actions tonight, Marco assumed that the teen wasn't very fond of his lineage. Marco himself was of course, adopted. At one time, he had scorned his parents for abandoning him, but once Pops adopted him, he found peace. Ace seemed to have this same peace with his brothers, yet whatever the issue was still bothered him.

"I understand Ace," Marco answered. "You don't have to say anything else. We can have a real talk with Pops again when you're ready."

Ace nodded. "I'd like that."

He led Ace up to the door. It was a habit they began developing after the first few dates. Whenever Ace would have a narcoleptic attack, Marco would be forced to carry him up to the door. Occasionally he woke up and walked with Marco the rest of the way, and the little tradition just stuck.

Ace unlocked the door and Marco was ready to kiss him goodnight, but Ace whispered, "Marco... Can you stay with me?"

Marco squeezed Ace gently. He saw no reason to refuse. "Of course."

They stepped over the threshold of the house, which was strangely quiet.

"Sabo? Luffy?" Ace called.

No response.

"Ace." Marco held up a note he had found taped to the back of the door.

"Huh? What's this?" Ace took it from his hands. Sabo had obviously written it (Luffy couldn't write in cursive), but it was hastily scribbled, like they had been in a hurry.

_Ace,_

_I'll be over at Koala's. Luffy will be at Zoro's. We'll see you tomorrow._

_-Sabo_

Though Ace was confused as to why Sabo didn't offer any explanation, he blushed, realizing the implications of being alone with Marco. "L-Let's go upstairs," he stuttered, taking Marco by the hand.

Once in his room, he shut the door behind him. "M-Marco, if you want to, I-"

"I know what you're thinking," Marco chuckled at his embarrassed expression. "We don't have to do anything, yoi. I promise you."

Ace let out a sigh of relief. They hadn't been together for that long, so wasn't sure if he was quite ready for _that_. He loved Marco for being so understanding about it (not that he would admit it just yet).

He turned away and began stripping down. Both he and Marco liked to sleep in their boxers, so he hoped that this wouldn't be too awkward. When he looked back, Marco had already taken off his clothes. Ace blushed at seeing his bare torso adorned with his family crest.

"It gets more amazing every time I see it," he breathed, still taking in the sight.

Marco smiled, leading them over to the bed. "C'mon. Let's go to sleep."

It was then that Ace realized their predicament. He pulled away, placing his hands on his head in a panic. "I'm sorry Marco! I don't know if there's enough room for us. I'll sleep on the floor, so-"

He was cut off by Marco pulling him down on the twin-sized bed. "This is fine, Ace," he insisted, pulling him closer to his chest and entangling their legs.

Ace almost melted at the proximity. "Y-yeah." And despite his embarrassment, he fell asleep first, snuggled against Marco's chest comfortably.

"Good night, yoi." Marco placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and fell asleep to the rhythm of Ace's steady breathing.

* * *

Bonus:

"Should we really leave Ace behind?"

"He'll be fine! Hopefully."

"I want to watch!"

"I don't think we want to be around when that happens. Trust me."

* * *

**So why do _you_ think Sabo and Luffy left the house?**

**Please Review (and suggestions never hurt, you know)!**


	12. Second Impressions

**A/N: So I'd like to say, if you thought that Sabo and Luffy left Ace and Marco alone to have sex, then you were unfortunately wrong. I was originally going to wait til Sunday to upload this, but I had spare time.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When Marco fell in love with Ace, he had dreamed of this very moment: falling asleep with Ace tangled in his arms. Their bodies would be pressed closely together, so they would be sharing body heat. He would wake up in the morning and look at Ace's peaceful sleeping face illuminated by the sunlight as he slept, and then Marco would wake him up with a good-morning kiss.

So then why?

Why was he staring into the face of _Monkey D. Garp_?!

"Gah!" He yelled, jerking backwards and falling on the ground. He resisted the urge to curse as his backside came in contact with one of Ace's school textbooks lying on the floor. The teen's room was a messy compared to Marco's. The blond usually didn't mind, but it was really screwing him over now.

"So you're awake," Garp grinned, eyes shining deviously. Marco felt his stomach sink. Somehow, the man had snaked between him and Ace on the small bed, providing a rather rude awakening. "I never thought I'd find a bird nesting in my grandson's bed!"

Marco elected to ignore the stupid nickname. "Uh, sir-"

Garp interrupted him by standing up on the mattress. Ace was still sleeping, but that wouldn't last much longer. He raised his fist for his signature Fist of Love and took a deep breath. "WAKE UP, YOU DAMN BRAT!" He yelled out, bringing down his hand. When it hit Ace, Marco could have sworn that Ace's eyes popped out of his head as he was launched against the wall.

"Gramps?!" Ace exclaimed, moving to cover himself with his blanket (it had been launched with him). It was now that Marco realized that he too was only in his boxers. Even though he met Garp before, this was the first time seeing the man as Ace's boyfriend. Considering that He was only in his boxers and that he was found hugging Ace (also in only boxers) as the slept, he wasn't making a very good impression. Was he?

"Get dressed, you two! I need to talk with you!"

"Get the fuck out of my room!"

* * *

They had managed to get Garp out of the room, but Ace refused to move from the floor. He was huddled into a ball in the corner, mortified at what had just happened. Marco was mortified too, but Ace was expressing this more openly than him. It was actually kind of adorable. He could really use some comfort.

"Are you okay, yoi?" Marco asked, reaching over to pat Ace's shoulder. Before his hand reached him, Ace's head snapped towards him.

"No, I'm not okay!" he exclaimed. "Why would he do that?" Ace stopped and shook his head. "Wait. Never mind. Don't answer that."

Marco smiled reassuringly, trying to calm his boyfriend. "It had to happen sometime, Ace."

"Did it? Did it _really_?"

"Well, were you intending to hide it forever?"

"Well... No. But did he really have to do _that_?"

Ace didn't have to specify what he was talking about. Marco knew. Still, he had a point. It was no secret that Garp was pretty crazy. Marco shuddered. He did not want to think about what had happened. It was surely a scarring experience, one that Marco definitely wanted to forget. He had really wanted to kiss Ace awake (not that he would actually admit it out loud).

"I guess you're right," Marco admitted. "But he was going to find out eventually, Ace."

"But he didn't even know that I was gay! I never told him!" Ace panicked. He ran a hand through his hair in a show of his distress.

"You know, Ace," Marco started gently, ""You tell me you don't care what your grandfather says, but judging by the way you're worrying, I'd say that you value his opinion more than you think."

"Well, he may be crazy, but he's family. He cares when it counts," Ace admitted. The man raised him after all. He had been carrying out a promise, and, though he was still crazy and scary at times, Ace genuinely believed that he cared for him and his brothers.

"I promise you, it will be fine, yoi." He offered out a hand. "Now let's go see what he wants. Shall we?"

Unfortunately, Ace's clothes didn't look exactly perfect on Marco (his shirt especially). Well, at least he wasn't wearing his dirty clothes from yesterday. He didn't want to make a sloppy impression. On the other hand, wearing Ace's clothes in front of Garp could make things worse, but there weren't very many options. Thankfully, Ace's shorts were a comfortable enough fit on him.

He turned and out of the corner of his eye saw that Ace was blushing at him. "Is something wrong?"

"You're wearing my clothes."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "And...?"

Ace approached him and took his hands. He leaned up and kissed Marco's cheek. "I like it," he said with a smile.

Marco returned this smile. Ace had regained at least some of the confidence he usually carried. Hopefully, things would turn out okay. No. He would make sure of it.

He took Ace's hand in his own and squeezed it. They nodded at each other as they left the room and kept this grip when they descended the stairs. It was only when they had reached the kitchen where Garp was that Ace slackened his hold, nervous about what his grandfather would think. Marco just held on tighter. There was nothing to hide anymore (they were caught sleeping in the same bed after all) and besides, it would give Ace some support through the conversation.

Garp looked up from his doughnut munching to see Marco and Ace holding hands. He was grinning, but since he was _Garp, _there was no way to tell how he really felt. "Sit, you two," he commanded, stuffing another donut in his mouth.

Ace approached cautiously and Marco pulled out their chairs. They sat across from him in silence, waiting for him to finish off his last box of donuts.

"So, Gramps," Ace started, taking a deep breath. Garp had already seen them together, but Ace wasn't sure if he was completely ready for this. Marco sat up straight in preparation, but did not let go of Ace's hand. This still wasn't enough to completely alleviate Ace's fears though. His heart was still pouning rapidly against his rib cage, and his palms were sweaty. "I-"

"I already knew you were gay, dumbass."

Ace's jaw dropped (almost making Marco chuckle from amusement), trying to process what he just heard. "Come again?"

They weren't expecting him to say that. Ace had tried his best to hide it from him, so he thought Garp had no idea. Marco, on the other hand, was expecting to have to help Ace explain it.

"If you don't want me to find things, then maybe you shouldn't hide them under your bed!"

A blush broke out across Ace's freckled cheeks. "G-gramps!" He felt like dying, like melting into the floor and disappearing forever. The implications of the statement were rather obvious and Marco was sitting _right there_! "Marco, it's not-"

"Ace, don't worry about it. Your brothers told me about that. Remember?"

That didn't make things better.

"Bwahaha!"

Ace looked back at him, blinking in surprise. He had always been dreading this moment. Garp was usually explosive, so Ace had been expecting yelling and flying fists. Why was he laughing? "Wait. You're not mad?" he asked.

Garp shook his head, still laughing. "Why would I be? They'll still probably let you into the Marines!"

"No thank you," Ace shot with annoyance.

"Your attitude changed quickly," Garp grinned. Marco himself managed a small smile. He knew everything would be fine, but it warmed him to see Ace in such a flustered state. "Besides, I think this makes my life easier!"

"And why would that be?" Marco asked, trying to contribute to the conversation. This was about him too, after all.

"'Cause." Garp jabbed a finger towards Marco, startling him. He bit into a new doughnut. The box was almost empty, but another sat underneath it. "I know Newgate can handle you if things get out of hand."

Marco understood immediately. Pops had already accepted Ace into the family (which made Marco feel a range of emotions from happiness to embarrassment). Pops wasn't the type to get mad at his sons, but since Marco was the older and more experienced one in his relationship, he was held to certain expectations. If he hurt Ace (he hoped that would never happen) he would have be the one to take responsibility. He nodded. "I understand."

"Well, good!"

Ace coughed to get the attention back. The atmosphere was no longer tense, but something was still off to him. "So you're not going to beat us up?"

Garp gave out another loud laugh. "Maybe later!"

Ace's stomach sunk.

"But for a different reason. I still need to turn you into the perfect Marine!"

That comment went ignored

Once his guffaws subsided, he returned his gaze to Ace. "Do you really think I'm going to beat up your boyfriend?"

"Yes...?" Ace answered hesitantly.

"I don't need to do that." Garp's eyes glinted and a grin- this one mischievous- returned to his face. "He hasn't met Dadan yet."

Ace seemed to turn pale at the mention of the name. A curse left his mouth. "Shit."

Marco didn't know who this "Dadan" was, but if they were worse than Garp, he was surely dreading the experience.

* * *

Bonus:

"Now... Where are my other two idiot grandsons?"

_'Shit! I left their note on the counter!'_

"What's this? ... I see they're nice enough to give me their locations. Time to teach them a lesson for trying to escape the Fist of Love!"

_'I dodged a bullet this time. Didn't I? Sorry, Sabo. Sorry, Lu. You're outta luck this time.'_

* * *

**Be honest. Who was actually expecting that?**

**Please review!**


	13. Valentine's Day

**A/N: Hello~ Happy Valentine's Day even if it isn't Valentine's Day where you are! This one's kinda short, so sorry about that! It's a bunch of fluffy stuff though, so I hope you guys like it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ace was practically bouncing out of his seat in excitement as they drove along. Well, it's not as if he could help himself after all. There was just too much excitement bubbling up in his body. Of course he was excited. It was Valentine's Day, and it was the first one he would be spending with Marco.

They were going out today, and on a perfect date no less. He and Marco planned it out beforehand, but Ace didn't mind not being surprised even though it was Valentine's Day (though Marco _did _surprise him in another way earlier).

Marco was bringing him on a picnic: a picnic right at their special little place.

The car seriously couldn't move fast enough. They went to the beautiful field together often, but it would be even better with food (in Ace's opinion). Marco knew him so well, so Ace was super happy when the idea was brought up. Packing for the picnic had been part of the fun as well. They prepared the food together. Thatch offered to help since he was the cook in the house, and a spectacular one at that. They refused the offer though. Valentine's Day was the day for them to spend together, and preparing the food only brought them closer.

The roads were finally beginning to look familiar. Ace was beaming. "Hey, Marco!" he cheered. "We're almost there!"

"We are, Ace," Marco smiled.

Ace stepped out of the car and stretched his stiff limbs. He inhaled the fresh air deeply, appreciating the scent of flowers carried on the wind. This place, their _special place_, was still beautiful, even when the stars weren't shining overhead. The blue sky with its beautiful, fluffy clouds was enough for him.

"Are you going to help me unload the car?" Marco asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, Marco." Though he wasn't exactly complaining.

Marco was the one who grabbed the picnic basket. Fair enough since Ace was starving and he might have eaten the food too quickly. The faster he got out the blanket, the faster they could eat. He quickly retrieved it from the backseat of the car and waved it out, setting it down across the grass.

"You move fast, yoi," Marco noted, walking up behind him. He ruffled his lover's hair. "That eager?"

"Of course I am!" Ace exclaimed. "We're on a picnic, Marco! You should be more excited."

"I know, I know, Ace. Just don't fall asleep in your food."

"O-oi!" Ace pouted. "I don't do it that often!"

"You don't? I have to wipe the food off your face an awful lot," Marco teased. "You must like it when I do that."

"Maybe~"

He kissed Ace's forehead. "Shall we eat?"

"Uh-huh!"

Despite Ace's ability to eat for more than at least five people, they tried not to make too much food. There was no way they would be able to bring it all if they did, though there was a bit extra. Ace could hold off provided that Marco buy him a big dinner later.

Ace took a big bite out of his first sandwich, savoring the taste. It was nothing special (just ham and cheese), but Marco made this for him, so he loved it. Marco on the other hand, was eating a tuna salad sandwich that Ace made for him. He hoped that Marco liked it. It wouldn't hurt to ask. Right?

Ace swallowed his food. "What do you think, Marco?" he asked when Marco bit into his own sandwich.

The blond chewed for a few seconds, Ace waiting with bated breath. Finally, he swallowed and answered, "It's great!" he commented, eyes bright. "Tuna was a good choice."

That simple compliment sent joy through Ace's heart. "Thanks, Marco! I knew you liked fish, so I thought it would be."

"You know me well, yoi."

"And _you_ know I'll eat anything."

The final food item they brought was a slice strawberry shortcake. Thatch baked this one since neither of them were adept enough at the skill. Unfortunately, they forgot to pack another fork. This didn't really bother them too much though.

"We can be one of those cheesy couples who feed each other!" Ace laughed.

"Alright. If that's what you want," Marco chuckled back. He cut a chunk off the cake with the fork. "Here," he offered, holding it up to Ace's mouth.

The dessert was delectable as always. It had a fluffy texture, and the cream added even more sweetness along with the strawberries.

"Okay! My turn!" Ace grinned, snatching the fork from Marco.

The light blush across Marco's cheeks as Ace fed him made his earlier suggestion all the more worth it.

When they were finished, they packed up their things and dusted the blanket off.

"What next, Marco?" Ace asked.

"I'll show you," the blond replied mysteriously, leaving Ace to wonder. He headed over to the car, which was parked rather close. What Ace heard next, made him feel warm inside.

The music Marco turned on was, for lack of a term that wasn't cheesy, _their_ song: the one they danced to when they first met.

"Dance with me," Marco said, taking his hands tenderly.

Ace couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's Day, he decided. Being held close to Marco, the warmth of their bodies pressed together (though it wasn't too cold out) was more than nice. It was wonderful. He knew that everything Marco did today was a sign of his love for him, and everything Ace did was a sign of his love for Marco.

"I know I say it a lot," Ace whispered as the song faded away, "but I really do love you."

"As do I," Marco whispered back,

It was a bit saddening when they had to pull away. Oh well. Perfect moments couldn't last forever. "Shall we go now?" Ace suggested, trying to hide his disappointment. He really wanted to stay here with Marco longer.

"Just a moment, Ace," Marco smiled. Ace perked up at this, but suddenly he felt something slip into his hair. He reached up and touched it gingerly, taking it from his hair.

"A hibiscus?" Ace was expecting him to get a present (flowers were obviously one possibility), but he thought they would be something more romantic like roses. A hibiscus was strange, especially in this season. He liked it though. It was a beautifully vibrant shade of red.

Marco nodded, taking it from him and slipping it back into his raven locks. "Your grandfather told me that your mother used to wear these in her hair. I know you never knew her, but I thought you would like to know, yoi," he explained. "You... You look beautiful."

Ace was sure that his cheeks were red, but he couldn't bring himself to mind. Marco had bought him such a simple gift, yet it was a personal one at the same time. A piece of his mother, in a way. Someone who he owed everything too. "Thank you, Marco. I love it."

"I'm glad you do, yoi." Marco leaned down and brought their lips together to seal off their Valentine's Day perfectly. Ace responded eagerly, holding his hands at the back of Marco's neck.

"Do you want to leave now?"

"Can we dance just one more time, Marco?"

"Anything you want, Ace."

* * *

**The smut's longer tbh XP.**

**I'm putting up a few other things this weekend, so I'm taking a break to finish up my opbigbang story.**

**Please review!**


	14. Nightmare

**A/N- Guess who's death this is commemorating? Okay. Now I'm going to take a break.**

**Enjoy...?**

* * *

Marco's breathing was heavy. He could feel the cold stones under his sandals. He could hear the yelling and screaming of his family around him as they yelled out battle cries. There was some blood on his clothes. He wasn't sure if it was his or someone else's, but it hardly mattered now. They would be leaving this place soon.

His heart was hopeful. Finally, everything would be back to normal, or at least as normal as things could get for their standards. He would be home on the Moby Dick with Pops, all of his siblings, and most importantly, Ace. Marco was almost overwhelmed with hope, the hope of a better tomorrow. Surely one that was much better than today, a day spent on the battlefield. But fighting was fine with Marco, especially since all of this was for Ace. Marco would do anything for Ace, _anything_, and as much as he wanted to go over to Ace and take him in his arms, there were more important matters to attend to, like getting out of this place. They would have plenty of time to spend together later.

Marco remembered shouting orders at his siblings and a few others. He bashed a few more skulls in, and he was pretty sure he was simultaneously facing a much stronger adversary. He couldn't let himself lose now. Not when Ace was finally free.

It finally seemed as if it was coming to a close. Ace and his brother were almost back to the boats, so they would be able to leave this wretched place soon.

And then, hateful, disgusting words were thrown, and about their father no less.

Marco felt his rage boil through his entire body. How dare he. This man had the nerve to insult Pops. As much as Marco wanted to attack him, to _kill_ him, to slay him where he stood, he was rational enough to hold himself back.

But Ace wasn't.

Marco immediately panicked. Why? Why did Ace insist on fighting? Why did Ace insist on putting himself in more danger? Damn his stubbornness! Marco couldn't do anything. There was no way that he would reach him in time. He could only silently plead to his lover. _'Please. Please, stop this.'_

Marco hated feeling so helpless. His heart was slowly breaking as he watched Ace. He reached out a shaky hand towards his lover. "No," he whispered. _"No."_

The last thing he could recall before he broke into pieces were tears spilling over his face as someone drove a fist through Ace's body.

* * *

Marco jolted up in his bed, breathing heavy just as it was in his dream.

Well, more of a nightmare really.

He was never one to dream, or at least remember his dreams if they ever happened. But this one stuck in his mind. It was so vivid, and felt so real. Of course it had to be a nightmare, one about Ace...

He didn't want to think on the subject any further. He wanted to go back to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw that image over and over: the one of a giant fist plunging through Ace's chest. He wasn't sure how much longer he could handle the image.

He wanted- no- _needed_ to see Ace right now.

Marco stood, haphazardly throwing on some clothes. They probably weren't matching, but his appearance didn't matter right now. Ace was the only thing running through his mind.

He thought he would be able to leave the house without troubling anyone, but then again, he thought it was still late at night. More time passed than he thought. The sun was rising outside, and along with the sun, a certain brother of his chose to rise as well.

Izo, who was raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked. "I thought you were taking the weekend to sleep in."

It's not as if he could sleep now, and frankly, he was annoyed that Izo was preventing him from leaving. "I'm going to see Ace," he answered. "Now move, yoi."

This statement only seemed to make Izo even more confused. "What are you talking about, Marco? Who's Ace?"

Something cold seized Marco's heart. Why was Izo asking that? Was this some kind of prank? But Izo was never one for practical jokes. "Ace is _Ace_, Izo. This isn't funny!" he growled.

Suddenly, his brother was in front of him, pressing a hand to his forehead.  
"I think you might be feeling a bit under the weather, dear," Izo said. "Go and get some more rest."

"I don't need rest! I-"

"What's all the fuss about, my sons?" Neither of them noticed their father enter the room.

"Pops," Izo started, "Marco's been spouting nonsense! I think he needs some rest."

"I'm fine, Izo!"

"No, you're not! Look, he keeps talking about this imaginary person, Ace."

"He's _real_," Marco pleaded. "I _need_ to see him, Pops. _Please_. I... I love him," he whispered.

This time, Izo didn't interrupt again, leaving silence hanging in the air. Finally, Whitebeard beckoned to him. "Come here, Marco."

He complied with this request. Pops placed a hand on his shoulder gently.

"Marco," he started, "I think I may know who you are talking about."

Those words filled Marco with hope.

"But what you're saying is impossible. Garp's grandson has been dead for years."

Marco felt his heart break once more.

* * *

It was still dark out when Marco woke up with a gasp, covered in sweat once more. He took deep breaths to try and calm himself, but it wasn't working at all. Finally, one idea popped into his panicked mind. He turned to the other side of his bed.

Ace was there, sleeping peacefully. It seemed as if Marco's hadn't disturbed him.

Marco could feel his rapidly pounding heart calming. Ace was just so beautiful beside him, but it wasn't enough. Two nightmares in a row was just too much for him to handle.

He needed some fresh air.

There was a balcony a little ways down the hall, so that's where he went. The breeze was pleasant against his skin, but still, it wasn't enough.

Why had he dreamed twice of such a thing? Losing Ace dream and not having him altogether in another? Before he was even aware of it, he felt something wet on his face. Reaching up to touch his cheek, he discovered they were tears. He had been crying.

Damn it! How was he ever going to go back to bed like this?

Suddenly, Marco felt arms wrap around him from behind. He knew who it was immediately. "Ace," he whispered.

Ace rested his head against Marco's back. "Why are you up, Marco?" he mumbled, sounding exhausted. "Come back to bed with me."

Marco smiled, but he felt guilty. "I'm sorry, yoi." He finally turned around, kissing his lover's hair. "Did I wake you?"

Ace nodded. "I want you with me. You're warm, you know!" he laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked a little, sending warmth through Marco's heart, but he still sighed. "I can't, Ace," he said. There was a slight breaking in his voice as he tried to hold back his fear. "Every time I close my eyes, I..." He trailed off, unsure if he should continue.

"I'll listen, Marco," Ace offered, drawing Marco closer. "Don't worry. I'm always here for you."

Of course he was. Why would Marco thing anything differently? He wanted to appear strong for Ace, but that all came crumbling down. Tears flowed freely now. "I-I lost you!" he finally choked out. "You were killed in front of me and I couldn't do a thing! And then I woke up and they told me that you weren't there at all! I just-"

And then, seeing how painful it was for Marco to talk about this, Ace began to shush him. He rubbed comforting circles on his back, something Marco often did for him. "Shhh," he whispered. "Everything will be alright. I promise that will never happen!" He pulled back to wipe Marco's tears away.

Marco felt so weak right now, but he felt his strength returning tanks to Ace. He truly was his pillar of strength in times of need, and Marco his in return. "Promise?" he asked quietly.

"Promise," Ace declared once more. He leaned up to kiss Marco's nose. "I'll stay with you here as long as you want, and if you still feel like talking about it, then I'll listen. If you want to go back to bed, then I'll stay up until you're asleep. How does that sound?"

"That would be wonderful, yoi." Marco smiled genuinely this time. "You're wonderful," he added.

When they finally headed back to sleep, Marco had no more nightmares. Just wonderful, _beautiful_ dreams of Ace.

* * *

**More short stuff to make up for the short Valentine's one (even though I put up two other things XP)**

**Please review!**


	15. Picture Perfect?

**A/N: So, for those of you who didn't know, I was taking March as a sort of break month since I wrote and published four things in the month of February, and I was just _super_ exhausted x.x- which is a shame since I had one almost ready to go. Anyways, I still have a lot of things I need to write for this story, but in the meantime, I have a few lined up already. This one I actually wrote recently just because I was inspired and I wanted to put up something short since I'm traveling soon. There's a bit of set-up for something that will happen later, but try not to worry about it now, hm?**

**Thank you guys for being so patient! Enjoy!**

* * *

The Grand Line mall was one of the greatest hangouts in the city, and of course it was the perfect place for a date. Unfortunately, Marco had to wear a disguise of sorts (sunglasses and a hood), but Ace was understanding after the incident during Christmas.

It was nice getting to walk around with Ace here and do some window shopping. Other than that, they had grabbed lunch and did that cheesy couple milkshake-sharing thing per Ace's request.

But now...

Having Ace staring at him like he was from another planet wasn't exactly a new experience. It happened when Marco first met him, and it happened several times after. Still, he didn't understand the staring in this particular instance.

Though admittedly, the expression was rather amusing.

"Is it really that strange?" he asked back, raising an eyebrow at his boyfriend.

"Of course it is!" Ace exclaimed, bringing his face in close to Marco's and earning a few strange looks from passersby. Marco quickly adjusted his hood and glasses, making sure his disguise was secure just in case someone recognized him. He pressed a finger to his lips, making Ace quiet down. "How have you _never_ used one of these?"

"I've never had any need to, yoi," Marco explained with a shrug. "I'm usually at the studio when it comes to pictures." He was a professional model after all.

"But you haven't even used them with your family?"

"No. There's too many of us. Haruta really likes them though. Thatch too." Marco thought back to a few family outings to the mall, when the two tried to cram as many people inside as possible. Marco just stood there and watched. Needless to say, it didn't go so well for anyone.

After all, photo booths were pretty tiny and cramped to begin with. Most pictures taken of their big family were just taken with a camera for convenience .

"Are we done here, yoi?" he continued. "We have to pick up that thing for Pops." They needed to be back soon for dinner, but Marco had been distracted by his date with Ace. The store he needed to go to was on the other side of the mall too. They really should've done their errands beforehand.

Ace frowned at him, but took his hand nonetheless. They walked quickly, doing their best to avoid the hustle and bustle of the mall.

The Simple Treasures shop was in the least busy area of the mall, which was convenient for Marco. The poorly thought out disguise was beginning to get annoying, as the sunglasses were dimming his vision. "I can trust you out here for a little, right?" Marco asked. As much as he loved Ace, he knew there was a high chance of him running off to cause trouble.

Ace rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah." He didn't much feel like entering the store anyways, and while it would be easier for Marco if Ace just stayed next to him, there were too many breakables in the shop.

"Good, yoi." Marco leaned down to deliver a light kiss to Ace's forehead. "Just sit over there," he suggested, gesturing to a small area close to the store with a few couches and armchairs.

It was a relief to remove the hood and glasses once he entered the store, and it was also a pleasant surprise to see who was manning the register.

"Hi, Marco!" Keimi grinned. "It's been awhile!"

"Hello, Keimi." Marco smiled. "It really has, hasn't it? What are you doing here?"

"I'm trying to earn a little more money to help Hachi pay the rent for the Takoyaki shop," she explained, clasping her hands together. "Please don't tell him!"

"Don't worry, yoi," Marco chuckled. "I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. Just don't wear yourself thin."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Keimi sqealed. "Anyways, why are you here?"

"I'm picking up a gift for Pops," he said.

"Oh right! The manager told me something about this! Wait a sec." Keimi stepped from behind the counter and headed for the back room.

"Alright!" She emerged from the back, carrying a neatly wrapped box. "One custom sake cup with the Whitebeard family crest," she announced. "Great idea by the way!"

"It was actually my boyfriend's idea."

"Eeehh?! Boyfriend?!" Keimi yelled. The shock didn't last, as she soon donned her cheerful smile again. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you, yoi." Marco took a brief moment to look in Ace's direction outside the shop. "He makes me very happy."

A few more friendly words of conversation were exchanged as Marco paid for the gift (though half of it was Ace's money like they'd agreed since the gift was from both of them). It ended as Marco waved goodbye, Keimi requesting him to greet the rest of his family for her.

And Ace wasn't where he was supposed to be sitting.

Thankfully, Marco spotted him easily enough, so his panic was averted. Of course Ace was standing in front of yet another photo booth.

As if he could sense Marco approaching, Ace turned towards him with wide, shining eyes, giving him a look that Marco _could not_ say no to.

Marco cursed mentally for letting himself be caught off guard. Ace hadn't asked to use the photo booth earlier, but the request was rather obvious now. "Please?" Ace begged, before Marco could even open his mouth to attempt at an excuse. "I'll even pay for it."

Marco glanced at his watch, and finally sighed, "Why not."

"Yay!" Ace cheered, taking Marco's free hand and dragging Marco into the booth.

It was cramped inside like Marco expected, but he didn't mind since he was pressed up close to Ace (though the situation could lead to _questionable_ thoughts). He placed the box carefully on his lap and directed his attention to the console in front of them.

"Hmmm..." Ace hummed thoughtfully, switching between several choices. Marco just watched, wincing as some of the cheesier options popped up on screen.

_BFF's Forever!_

"Nope."

_Boyfriend+Girlfriend_

Even Ace crinkled his nose at this. "Definitely not."

_We go together like milk and cookies!_

"Maybe..."

Marco began to zone out. What photo booth had this many options? He didn't want to be late for dinner, and he was sure that Ace didn't either.

"Perfect!" Ace suddenly exclaimed.

Marco looked at the screen.

_You're the pineapple to my pizza!_

He shot Ace a pointed look. "You must be joking."

Ace responded by hitting the accept button as fast as he could. "Smile, Marco!" he exclaimed, reaching over and pulling the corners of his boyfriend's mouth wide.

"Oi, Ace!" he attempted to shout.

There was a loud click that indicated the first picture being taken. He hadn't even noticed the countdown.

Marco reached up and removed Ace's fingers from his mouth. "Ace, was that really necessary, yoi?"

"You didn't smile fast enough!" Ace replied.

"Is that really it?" Marco questioned, raising an eyebrow. He leaned in close so that his lips were hovering above one of Ace's ears. "Maybe you just wanted to put your fingers in my mouth."

"Oi! P-pervert," Ace muttered, a vibrant blush lighting up his freckled cheeks.

Another snap sounded, capturing that scene.

Ace scowled at the smirk that danced over Marco's lips. "Do over! Do over!"

"Nope. Sorry." Marco kissed the tip of Ace's nose. "No do overs here."

"Fine," he sighed. "But can you smile this time? A real one, not the charming one." While Ace _did_ love Marco's charming smile, the real one made him feel special since it was reserved for only those close to him.

"I don't see why not, yoi," Marco agreed. "You smile too, okay?"

3...2...1... _click!_

"See, Marco?" Ace beamed at him. "We have one more, you know!"

Marco chuckled. "Alright then. What do want to do?"

"Hmmm... We could do _that_..."

"And what exactly is _that_?" he asked, leaning close so their foreheads were touching.

But instead of responding, Ace touched their lips together in a chaste kiss.

_Snap!_

Despite the cheesy phrase on the photo strip, Marco was sure it was something both he and Ace would treasure forever.

* * *

**Please let me know what you think and what you want to see!**

**Fun fact, I own a photo strip about milk and cookies, and there's a rather... _interesting_ story behind it (there were four of us, and someone fell out XP). Btw, I will be participating in opbigbang, so look forward to that in a few weeks~**


	16. Heat Should Be Criminal

**A/N: This has been sitting in the box for months, I admit, but I've way more tired than usual lately, but I did put up a oneshot at the end of last month if you want to read that! It's called "Unfair". There's also my big bang story, "What We Have". And while I really want to add more to this story, I'm writing another big project right now, and I have a few others planned after that (but they're for the most part MarcoAce). Anyways, on to what you guys really came here for!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ace must have been too oblivious to think that Marco was oblivious. Marco was pretty observant, even though Ace's actions were rather obvious. To be fair, Marco was doing the same, but he, on the other hand, was not getting caught by the other.

It's not like he could help it anyways. The freckled teen looked almost irresistible. Keyword: _irresistible_.

Apparently, for _some reason_, Mother Nature decided that this particular Saturday of the _spring _season would be much hotter (on seasonal terms and physical terms) than the rest of the days of spring. Thankfully, or maybe unluckily for Marco at least, Ace decided to forego a shirt, exposing his _delicious _looking torso and muscular biceps. Marco just wanted to pin the younger down on the couch and _devour _him, but he would not do anything without Ace's comfort and permission. They would look too sexual to anyone who walked into the living room anyways (the possible candidates for this were limited to only Sabo and Luffy). Marco himself kept his shirt unbuttoned, showing off his family's crest that Ace loved so much. Marco was sure that he looked equally as tempting to the younger.

It was much too hot to go outside (this weather seriously made Marco question what the summer would be like). Ace had initially wanted to go out and see a movie, but they settled on staying in instead. Well, at least they could waltz around Ace's house half-naked, much to both their pleasures (though this fact went unspoken between them).

Anyways, back to the main topic: their staring. Ace was looking over at Marco much more frequently than Marco was at him. Marco was sure that he wasn't even paying attention to the movie playing on the TV screen (he wasn't either). The way that Ace blushed and hastily looked away in shyness was rather adorable, yet the glances he shot Marco were suspiciously positioned in a specific place. His eyes were not looking up into Marco's own. His eyes were not roaming over Marco's chiseled body. So where was Ace looking? What was Ace so fixated on?

Marco already knew the answer to that, and boy, was he satisfied with it. It would definitely be in his best interest to catch his partner in the act the next time he looked.

There it was, out of the corner of his eye. Ace craned his head slightly to look up at Marco, ignoring the film once more. Now was Marco's chance.

He looked straight back at Ace, making the boy blush again. He moved to turn away, but Marco was too quick for him. He caught Ace's chin in his hand with a gentle yet firm enough grip and forced him to keep his gaze. "Is something wrong, Ace?" Marco asked, trying to sound as teasing as possible. He knew what Ace wanted, so there was no harm in dangling it in front of his face. Ace would forgive him- and probably thank him too- later.

As Marco expected, the boy's cheeks had flushed a deeper shade of red while Marco spoke. "It's n-nothing, Marco," Ace stuttered. He averted his eyes, but his head stayed in the same position because of Marco's hand. Marco thought that it was rather adorable.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," Marco noted, leaning closer. Ace's lips parted again. Marco thought he heard a quiet squeak. Keeping that in mind, he decided to continue his teasing. "The way you keep looking at me, Ace, is like you want something from me. What do you want from me, Ace?"

Marco's repetition of Ace's name seemed to drive Ace himself deeper and deeper into embarrassment. "It's really nothing!" he insisted. "Uh- It's that- you look sexier today?" The young man cursed his own uncertain voice immediately after.

A scoff almost escaped Marco's mouth. That's not what he wanted to hear (though it was still flattering). "A statement, _Ace_, would have been more convincing than a question, yoi."

Ace squeaked again, blush growing impossibly brighter.

"I know that you want something, Ace. You want it _desperately_. Care to disclose?"

Ace was about to protest again, but he couldn't bring himself to do it because the on-screen love interests kissed passionately. He froze.

'_Perfect_,' Marco thought.

Ace looked like he was about to die. He refused to look at Marco, but looking at the screen would dig himself a deeper hole.

"Is that what you want? You want a kiss?" Marco asked, pulling their faces closer together.

"Wait, Marco!" Ace exclaimed, holding his hands up defensively. "I can explain!"

"Oh?" Marco didn't need to hear an explanation. Oh no. All he knew was that Ace wanted him. Well, at least in a non-sexual way. He was happy to satisfy Ace's desires in any way possible. They _were_ happily together after all. An explanation was unneeded, but Marco would hear him out. This would be interesting. "Let's hear it," Marco continued, not moving away by any distance.

"It's just that," Ace's voice dropped in volume, showing a rare shyness, "you haven't kissed me yet."

Finally. The words finally left his partner's tempting lips, which were formed in an ever so slight pout. This statement was true, but it's not as if Marco didn't want to kiss him. He didn't want to do anything want to do anything without Ace's permission. Marco would give him what he wanted of now course, but it wouldn't hurt to drag it out as long as possible, right?

"Where would you like me to kiss you, Ace?"

* * *

Ace was beginning to regret admitting his desire. Of course he wanted Marco to kiss him! They hadn't even had their first kiss yet, and Ace himself has never kissed another man. But did Marco have to be so _teasing_ about it?

"Where do you want me to kiss you, Ace?" the man asked. They were so close that Ace could feel Marco's breath.

Ace stayed silent. This was just too overwhelming for him. He could feel his freckled cheeks heating up. He thought he would burst.

But this only made Marco move impossibly closer. "Do you want me to pick for you, yoi?" he whispered. Suddenly, Ace's vision was obscured and a warmth was pressed against his... cheek?

There it was again! On his cheek! And again! Why did Marco insist on repeating this action? "Wh-what are you doing?" Ace questioned hesitantly. He wasn't quite sure that he wanted to hear the answer.

"I," Marco paused to deliver another kiss, this time to Ace's other cheek, "am kissing you, yoi. Every single one of your beautiful freckles."

"What?!" Ace exclaimed. How embarrassing! Marco was so cheesy, but at the same time, he made Ace want to melt right through the couch. Damn him, the perfect flirt. Ace almost shook from another peck placed on the freckles closer to his ear.

Marco's mouth moved upward starting to actually kiss the tips of Ace's ears. By now, the two had completely tuned out the movie. "Now I'm kissing your ears, yoi," he whispered. "Do you like what you hear? All my words in your kissable ears?" Before Ace could respond, shaky breaths leaving his open mouth, Marco moved down to his jaw, finally making his partner shiver under his touch. He didn't make a comment this time, wanting to increase the sensations he was delivering, Marco quickly latched his mouth onto Ace's neck. Marco nipped and sucked, causing Ace to gasp.

"And your neck," he continued, breathing against Ace's heated skin. "So beautifully unmarked, just for me. But it would look better if something were there. Don't you think?" He resumed his earlier actions, this time biting down just enough to leave a mark.

"M-Marco..." Ace whimpered. Usually, Ace hated feeling helpless like this, but this was Marco, and, damn. It was seductive and Ace loved it. Still, he wasn't quite ready for what he was thinking. "I'm not-"

"Don't worry, Ace," Marco reassured, pulling away from marking him to smile gently. "I won't do anything you won't want. Just kissing." But this time, he still did not leave a kiss upon waiting lips. He moved back down, starting on Ace's torso by kissing his pectoral muscles.

"And your muscles... You're strong, but you get all like this for me."

"S-stupid, Marco!" Ace cried, too sensitive to the man's touch. "Of course I do when you do stuff like this!"

Marco hummed in acknowledgement, craning his head ever nearer to Ace's abs and his stomach. "No! Not there!"

He smirked, chuckling as Ace squirmed under him. "You're especially sensitive here. Aren't you, Ace?" Marco pressed his lips tight against Ace's belly.

"Wait, Marco! I-" Ace stopped, coherent thought vanishing when he felt Marco's tongue against his skin.

And then, before he could stop himself, Ace screamed out a laugh as Marco blew a raspberry against his stomach.

Marco pulled away, smirk transformed into a grin. "You're ticklish?"

No! Marco couldn't know about this! "No!" Ace denied quickly. But it was too late. Marco had already moved his hands down to his stomach, wiggling his fingers against Ace's sides.

Ace couldn't stop himself from smiling, and he tried to hold in his giggles the best he could. It was useless. Marco moved his fingers faster now, tickling Ace even harder now. Ace couldn't resist any longer. The tingling sensations were overwhelming him. He opened his mouth, loud laughter escaping through widely grinning lips.

Ace's laughter was suddenly silenced by another pair of lips covering his.

Ace gasped into the kiss, staring back at Marco with wide eyes. The man's own eyes were closed, and he had moved his hands away from Ace's torso to caress his freckled cheeks. Oh yes. This is what Ace wanted. He accepted it gratefully, eyes fluttering shut and lips working against the other's chastely. Neither of them wanted this to end. The moment was just perfect.

But eventually, they needed to part for oxygen. Their slow, passionate kiss had robbed too much air from them. They separated, quietly panting and staring into each other's eyes lovingly.

"What do you think, yoi?" Marco asked, sitting upright. He slung his arm around Ace's shoulder and pulled him closer.

"I think you could have been a lot more romantic," Ace mused. "The tickling almost killed the mood. Almost."

"Romantic, hm?"

"I liked it though!"

Still, Marco remained thoughtful. "Say, Ace."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember what I told you the night we met?"

Ace looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Instead of responding, Marco brought out his charming smile, making Ace's heart race. "Would you like to feel my smile against your lips?"

And as they kissed once more, Ace remembered just how romantic Marco could be.

* * *

**So that was their first kiss story, which I know a lot of you guys were waiting for! It's not super romantic or anything, so forgive me on that part, but I wanted to write something silly.**

**Please review and keep sending ideas if you have any!**

**IMPORTANT: So, I thought about doing a sort of mini-contest for a reader cameo. What do you guys think?**


	17. New Job Part 1

**A/N: Head's up- This one's another two parter, so there's not actually any MarcoAce in this chapter, but I _promise _there's some sweet stuff in the next part. But now, let's just watch the drama unfold.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ace sighed, throwing down his dirty cleaning cloth and collapsing in the empty booth. Usually, work wasn't this exhausting to him. He took his narcolepsy medicine earlier too, so he thought that would have at least helped a little bit, but unfortunately, nothing. He couldn't even remember why he said he would cover this shift anyways because it _definitely_ was not for the extra hours. Wait. Was it for the bonus pay? Yep. Definitely for the bonus pay. He stretched his arms, stiff from hours of scrubbing and waiting tables, above his head and heard a somewhat satisfying popping noise. The action earned some disgusted looks from the few restaurant patrons that were left at this rather late hour, but he just brushed it off.

"Oi, Ace!" a voice called.

Ace turned his head to the source. It was his boss. Thankfully, he was pretty lenient with Ace's impromptu breaks when it was a slow hour. "Oh hey, Thatch," he greeted. "What are you doin' out of the kitchen?"

"Just checking on you," Thatch answered, patting his shoulder. "How goes it?"

Ace groaned.

"Not too good, I guess," the man noted.

"You know, late hours don't really work with me. I don't want to collapse again." He had taken a late shift once before and he had forgotten to take his medication that day. Embarrassingly enough, he fell asleep right into a customer's food. There was a lot of apologizing after that.

Despite his complaining, Thatch smiled at him. "Well, look on the bright side, buddy!" he exclaimed. One more hour and you're home free! I'll take you back to our place. Tell Marco that we went to get some drinks."

"I'm still underage. He'll get mad at you." Ace usually didn't care about stuff like that, but he didn't want Marco to worry about him too much.

"Oh right. Sometimes I forget how young you are," Thatch said. "It wasn't a very good excuse anyways. Whatever. I'll think of something. By the way, shouldn't you be busing tables?"

"Shouldn't you be cooking?"

He laughed. "Touché. I'll see you later, bro." He retreated back into the kitchens with a wave. Ace rather liked the endearing nickname he had been given.

Thatch was the owner and head chef of his own restaurant, The Black Moby, and he had offered Ace a waiter/busboy position at the restaurant. Ace thanked him almost too gratefully, choosing to almost suffocate him with a hug. Thankfully, Marco didn't come to the restaurant super often. This was a good opportunity for Ace. He could keep it a secret like he was hoping to. He wasn't too bad at the job either since he was able to keep any clumsiness in check and he was used to cleaning because of Sabo's almost motherly nagging.

Ace's extra shift was almost over (he was filling in for a coworker). He just had a few more things to take care of. There was a new customer in his area. Thankfully, he could go home after he served the guy.

"Hello," he greeted. "My name is Ace and I'll be serving you this evening."

The man grinned at him and Ace noticed that he was missing a few teeth. He was rather hairy too, with bushy black locks covering his dark skin here and there.

"Zehaha!" the guy laughed. Something about it unsettled Ace. It was too malicious to be normal, but the man showed no other ill will besides that. Ace brushed it off. "You look pretty young, Ace!" he noted. "Shouldn't you be at home at this hour?"

This question was too ignored. "What can I get you, sir?"

"Please. Call me Teach. Blackbeard is good too."

"Order?" Ace asked again impatiently. Usually, Ace was polite to customers (Makino taught him well after all), but this guy was getting on his nerves and he couldn't explain why.

"Just get me a cherry pie," Teach said.

"Of course." Ace nodded and hurried back toward the kitchen. "Hey, Thatch!" he called.

The chef popped his head out from around the corner. "Got something?" he asked. "Thank god. I've had _nothing_ to do." It was late, so there were few people in the restaurant. Thatch had really just been sitting around.

"Yep. This guy just wants some cherry pie."

Thatch's smile froze and slowly disappeared. His eyes widened. He was silent. Ace did not like it. The man was usually so cheerful and carefree. If that man was the cause...

"Thatch?" Ace questioned. "What's wrong?"

Thatch seemed to snap out of his trance at Ace's words. He looked at Ace almost gravely, sending a shiver through him. "Ace," he started. "Stay back here."

"Wait. Why?!"

"Just listen to me." He stormed out of the kitchen into the dining room. Ace followed anyways, making sure to wait at least a minute.

When he got back to the table, Teach was still grinning and sitting comfortably in his seat. Thatch was glaring at him, hissing something furiously.

"Seriously, Thatch," Ace said as he walked closer. "You're kinda freaking me out right now."

Thatch turned towards him. "I told you to stay in the back, Ace!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!" Ace cried out. "We're family. Aren't we?"

"Oh. Family, eh?" Teach said. Ace did not like the tone he was using.

Thatch moved an arm across Ace protectively. "It's none of your business," he growled.

"Well then, if I ask you the same question, what would you say?"

Teach's question confused Ace. From what the man was saying it seemed like... "Are you guys brothers?"

"Not anymore," Thatch replied immediately.

"Don't be like that, Thatch," Teach retorted. It sounded mocking and insincere. From the way Teach treated Thatch, Ace decided that he did not like him at all. He looked in need of a shower anyways.

"You betrayed us!" Thatch yelled, slamming his fist on the table. The glass and utensils shook. Ace thought he saw the chef's other hand twitch towards his abdomen in an unconscious reflex.

"What? A man can still visit his brothers though. Right? I did it to get what I want. It's a shame you were in the way."

Thatch sighed and backed away. It seemed as if had given up on the matter. "There's no reasoning with you. Is there?" He took Ace's wrist. "We're closing early tonight. Come on, Ace." He turned away and started to drag Ace back to the kitchen.

But Ace was still looking back, and he could see Teach pick up one of the steak knives, eyeing Thatch's vulnerable back.

"Thatch!" Ace warned.

Ace acted on instinct. He yanked his arm out of Thatch's grip and shoved him away from the approaching weapon, but he was too late to save himself.

And Ace's blood ran cold as the knife pierced his gut.

* * *

**I admit that this was written months ago, but my motivation has been lacking lately. So sorry if this seems a bit inconsistent with the style. I'll try to get part two up soon since it's at least already written.**

**Please Review!**


	18. New Job Part 2

**A/N: I told you guys I would post this asap, didn't I? This is for Fushicho92 since I know she's been down lately and needs cheering up!**

**By the way, I referenced at least two events that have not happened yet. Can you spot them? One is actually more obvious than the other.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ace wasn't quite sure if he was actually awake. For all he knew, he could've been dead considering all the white surrounding him. There were a few things that confirmed otherwise though: the slight beeping, the grip on his hand, and the desperate whispering of his name.

Struggling to open his eyes, he realized how tired he still felt, but he needed to stay awake because Marco was there for him.

The whispering stopped, replaced by a gasp, and suddenly his hand was let go. Ace groaned weakly, attempting to call his lover back. Why was Marco letting go? Where was he going? He still felt a bit hazy, but he heard multiple footsteps, indicating someone else coming into the room.

"Thank you, Mr. Phoenix. I'll take it from here."

A hospital it seemed.

The nurse asked him a lot of questions when he regained full consciousness, and he weakly responded. He hated feeling this way, especially in front of Marco, but thankfully the questioning was soon over, and Marco was tenderly holding his hand again.

Silence hung between them as Marco ran circles across the back of Ace's hand with his thumb, unsure of who should start. Worry swam in Marco's eyes, filling Ace with guilt. It was his fault that Marco was this way. He had to say something eventually. Finally, Ace smiled softly. "Hey," he said.

It took Marco awhile to respond. "Why?" he eventually whispered.

Ace blinked in confusion. "'Why' what?"

"Do you know how much you scared me?" Marco sounded weak as well, probably from the worry he was speaking of. "Everyone else too, especially Thatch!"

"I don't regret it," Ace declared. "He was going to get _stabbed_, Marco! What was I supposed to do?"

"Maybe you shouldn't have thought so impulsively for once, yoi," he growled. Ace was taken aback. Why was Marco angry at him? Just a bit ago, he had been holding his hand lovingly.

"Marco-"

"And Thatch letting you work at the restaurant. What was he thinking?"

"It wasn't his fault. I asked him if I could!"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Someone coughed from the doorway, interrupting their argument. Needless to say, the sudden presence surprised them both.

"Pops?" Marco asked.

Whitebeard smiled as he entered Ace's hospital room. "Hello, my sons." He walked farther into the room and set a hand on Marco's shoulder gently. "May I talk to Ace for a moment?"

Marco looked as if he were about to protest, but he would not deny his father's request. Without any other words, he stood and stormed out of the room, shutting the door behind him. The sound made Ace's heart ache. Stupid, stubborn turkey.

"How are you feeling?" Whitebeard asked, bringing Ace's attention back.

Ace shifted his position in bed to get a better look at him. It was almost hilarious how he looked trying to fit into a chair much smaller than him, but now was not the time for laughter. "It still hurts a bit, but other than that, I feel fine." Though the pain in his heart from seeing Marco storm out said otherwise.

"I must thank you for saving Thatch."

"It was nothing," Ace insisted. "That was my decision to make."

"Marco doesn't seem to think so."

"Well, he's a stubborn turkey," he muttered, looking off to the side.

Whitebeard sighed. "He's just overwhelmed right now, son. You really worried him."

"Well he could at least act like it!"

"Try to see it from his point of view," he explained. "Marco's a worrier. You know that much. He didn't know that you were working at the restaurant, much less at such a late time. Now imagine how he felt when Thatch called him and told him that you'd been stabbed."

_'That really must've sucked,'_ Ace thought. That sinking guilt from earlier returned to his stomach.

"Marco thought you were going to die. He was a wreck until you awoke."

It was only natural for him to feel that way. If he had died, they wouldn't have said their goodbyes, and that would've torn Marco apart more than it already had. Damn it. He was right.

"I'm sorry."

Whitebeard smiled. "You have nothing to apologize for. It's just a shame to see the two of you fight after such a serious ordeal. Besides, it is I who should be apologizing for allowing you to get involved in these matters. I never thought that he would return to this city."

Ace felt that it was probably a bad idea to ask, but he wanted to satisfy his curiosity. "Who was that guy?"

The expression on Whitebeard's face darkened. "That man used to be a part of our family."

Ace had already ascertained that much from when he heard him and Thatch. Judging from Whitebeard's voice, Teach, or Blackbeard, wasn't the most pleasant person. "What did he do?" he asked hesitantly.

"He used our family for money and power," Whitebeard continued. If he was in pain, he was hiding it well, Ace noted. "Eventually he left, but he attempted to kill Thatch."

This shocked Ace. So the man went after Thatch's life _again_? Talk about Grade A asshole.

"We're lucky that both of you are alive."

Ace nodded. Though Whitebeard didn't go into much detail, Ace couldn't bring himself to mind, even if he did want to ask why. The subject seemed like a touchy one. "Do you think Marco could be angry because of him too?" he wondered aloud instead.

"It's possible," Whitebeard admitted. "Now son, I have a favor to ask..."

* * *

Marco must've looked furious because Thatch noticed right away. Marco tried to avoid him, but the chef caught his wrist and dragged him over to the side.

"You really need to calm down, buddy," Thatch said, patting him on the shoulders. "Cheer up! Ace is awake!"

"I don't want to hear that from you," Marco growled. While he was thankful that Thatch was called the ambulance right away, he was the reason that Ace had been put in danger in the first place!

"You're not actually blaming me, are you?" Thatch asked in disbelief. "You always get like this when you're worried."

"I do not!"

"Marco, people are staring," Thatch stated calmly. Marco snapped out of his anger and looked around. True to Thatch's word, people were staring and some were even whispering. Anyone would if they saw a celebrity fighting with someone in a hospital.

"Now just take a deep breath."

He slowly inhaled, feeling the heat of anger wane away ever so slightly.

"Are you ready to listen now?"

Marco nodded. Thatch led him over to a bench where he began his explanation.

"I won't try and make excuses," he started, "but I really did try to stop him."

Marco didn't say anything, and Thatch used this moment to continue.

"You know how he is. I told him to wait in the kitchen, but he's stubborn. He wanted me to tell him what was going on, but Teach ended up asking about him."

Marco took another deep breath to contain his rage. How dare he! Teach had no business going near either Thatch or Ace!

"I was going to lock up early for the night and call the police. I didn't even see him pick up the knife," Thatch sighed. "By the time I reacted, he had already stabbed Ace. I'm sorry." He moved his gaze from the floor and stared into space. "Even if I saw it in time, you know how Ace is."

Marco did, and despite his outburst, he didn't want to blame either of them. "Don't apologize, yoi," he said. "It's not one's fault but..." He trailed off, unable to bring himself to say the man's name.

"It sure is," Thatch agreed. "But still, I wish I could have done something, and Teach got away too," he sighed. Marco could see that he was frowning. No doubt the situation was overwhelming for him as well, and the stress of it was finally hitting him too.

"It's fine." Marco placed a hand on Thatch's shoulder to comfort him. "I overreacted, yoi."

"You tend to do that, you turkey."

And now, they were both grinning playfully, nudging each other with their elbows. The silly nickname actually did a lot to lighten Marco's mood, and Thatch's too.

"Still," Marco muttered after their brotherly antics were done, "why wouldn't Ace tell me about this?"

Thatch shook his head. "I'm sorry, man. That's for him to tell you."

"I'll talk to him then," Marco decided. Nothing would get done by yelling as he did earlier.

"That seems like the best option."

* * *

After Whitebeard left, Sabo and Luffy practically burst through the door, Luffy's face stained with tears and snot. He tried to hug Ace, but Sabo held him back, saying that he didn't want to reopen the wound.

Sabo himself had quite a few things to say to Ace: most of it yelling about how much he worried them. Ace could tell from the look in his eyes that he had been crying as well. He knew he would be seeing them often during his recovery if not everyday.

"It sucks that you have to stay here though," Sabo said once he was finished with his rant.

Ace knew that he wasn't trying to bring that up, but being in the room reminded him anyways. "I'm alright," he replied, but Sabo looked at him suspiciously., but before Sabo could tell him that he knew Ace felt otherwise, someone knocked on the door.

"Can we have a moment, yoi?" Marco asked, peeking his head inside.

Sabo seemed to read the situation easily because he dragged Luffy out of the room with a nod.

Marco walked over to Ace's bedside, taking his hand. It was hard for Ace to stay mad at him when he looked so stressed. He knew they needed to talk (he had promised Whitebeard so), but who would break the silence first?

"I'm sorry," Marco whispered, placing a soft kiss on the back of Ace's hand. "I didn't mean to get angry at you, yoi."

"I don't like it when we fight, pineapple." Ace frowned, remembering the pain in his chest when Marco stormed out earlier. "But I don't regret what I did," he declared.

"I know," Marco said, yet the tired look never left his eyes. "I'm glad that both of you are here though."

"Thatch... How is he?"

"You worried him a lot too, yoi. I think you should talk to him afterwards as well."

Ace nodded. He was glad he was able to protect Thatch, but that sight must not have been pleasant. Him being...

"But Ace," Marco continued, finally ready to confront the issue, "why didn't you tell me that you got a job?"

He looked so tired and weary, so Ace squeezed his hand comfortingly. It was time to tell him the truth. "Marco," Ace said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but it's something I wanted to do.

"You're always paying for everything," he explained. "Dinner, movies, our apartment-"

"Ace, I pay for it because I *want to, yoi."

"Well, I want to help you!" Ace insisted. "At least just a little bit," he added. "I know I'll never be able to make as much money as you do, but it'd make me happy if I can help in anyway. I love you, Marco, but I don't want you to spoil me all the time."

Marco was silent for a moment, but eventually he asked, "how long have you felt this way, yoi?"

"A while," Ace admitted, "but it only really started bothering me when we moved in together."

"I wish I had known sooner," Marco said. He smiled, leaning over to kiss Ace's forehead. "But who am I to deny your wishes?"

Ace smiled back. "Thank you, Marco."

"Maybe I should come visit you during my lunch break sometime."

"That would be nice!" Ace exclaimed. "But I might only be there on Tuesdays and Thursdays from now on," he continued.

Marco looked confused at this. "Why's that, yoi?"

"*Because," Ace said. "Whitebeard offered me a job!"

Ace loved how he saw Marco's eyes light up at his declaration. "Really?" The blond grinned, leaning over to embrace him. "That's amazing, yoi!"

"Yep! When I recover I'm going to be helping out at Little Whale daycare! Ace exclaimed, absolutely beaming and pulling away to see Marco's face. It was well known that Whitebeard had a soft spot for children, and this only made owning a daycare natural. He also owned and helped out many of the orphanages across the city. "By the way, when did you tell him that I was good with kids?"

Marco blushed, and that was all that Ace needed to know. He laughed, pulling Marco back into the hug.

But their sweet little moment was suddenly interrupted.

"Oi!" Haruta slammed the door open. "Are you two done yet?"

Izo appeared behind her, looking livid. He grabbed Haruta by the ear. "What did I tell you?"

"But Izo!"

Marco and Ace tuned out their squabbling, looking into each other's eyes. "I guess I have to go now, yoi," Marco sighed, squeezing Ace's hand.

"Come back later, okay?" Ace smiled, squeezing back. "I want tor have you here as long as possible." While he said this, he knew that he still had to greet everyone else. "I'm here, so I'm allowed to be as selfish as possible!"

"Of course," Marco chuckled. "See you." He stood, starting to leave the room reluctantly. Ace felt a bit of longing inside as he watched him go. Something about their talk didn't seem complete.

He was lucky that Marco could pretty much read his mind.

Marco turned around immediately, rushing back to Ace's bedside. He took Ace's face in his hands and kissed him sweetly, Ace reaching up around Marco's neck in response. "Please don't scare me like that again, yoi," Marco whispered when they broke apart. "I love you to much to bear it."

"I won't, Marc. I promise," Ace whispered back. "I love you too much too."

* * *

**I hope I made you guys panic with that last part, though you really did have nothing to worry about. I'm going to try to write another oneshot soon, but I have finals during the next two weeks, so my time to write is uncertain.**

**Please Review!**


	19. Son of a Beach

**A/N: It's almost summer where I live, so I thought it would be fitting that I do a beach oneshot! Hemispheres are weird though because I know that it's almost winter for some of you guys. I thought it would be cool to publish this during the summer solstice, but that's when MarcoAce week starts, so look forward to that!**

**Btw, sorry I haven't replied to reviews because I've been meaning to.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Marco was doomed, though he should have been expecting this. How would he even survive?

The family's annual beach trip was approaching ever closer, and that posed him with several problems. He hadn't really thought about it at first, but after Pops had invited Ace during a rather chaotic dinner with the rest of the family, panic began running through his mind. Not that he didn't want to spend time with Ace.

Marco just didn't want to mess anything up with Ace, and his siblings reminding him of what could conspire didn't help his paranoia in the slightest.

First of all, swimsuit. He had seen Ace shirtless several times, but that didn't mean he was unfazed by it. Ace was attractive, and there was just something about a beach atmosphere. Which brought him to the second problem: the heat. Marco would definitely stare at Ace as sweat slid down his skin (he could practically see it already), and he would have to pray Ace didn't think his own sweat was gross. Logically, a normal person would do one of a few things to cool down: go swimming.

That was the last problem. Marco couldn't swim.

What would Ace say about him? He would probably be embarrassed that his boyfriend couldn't swim, and they wouldn't be able to swim together, which would disappoint him too. Marco didn't want to disappoint Ace.

"What'cha thinking about there buddy?" Thatch asked, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Great. The last thing Marco needed was his "wonderful" advice, especially since he was one of the biggest teasers of his situation right now. Thatch leaned in close with a grin. "Could it be about _Ace_?"

"Shut up, yoi," Marco grumbled, shoving Thatch with his obnoxious expression away. "You're not helping."

"Aw, come on! Quit sulking, you turkey!" Thatch exclaimed. He ignored the glare he received. "I can at least try, right?"

Marco rolled his eyes in response.

"So what's the problem?"

"Honestly, Thatch," Izo sighed, entering the room. "Isn't it obvious?"

"I know." Thatch grinned. "I just want to hear it from our big brother that he needs help."

"My goodness." Izo too rolled his eyes, walking over to Marco to comfort him. "Marco, it's fine that you can't swim. You've never cared before, so I'm sure Ace won't."

"This isn't about Ace!" he denied quickly, but Izo just knew him too well to see past this obvious lie.

"No need to fuss, Marco," Izo chided. "I'm sure if you tell him the truth, things will turn out fine."

He made it sound so easy.

"Now stand up and start packing. And Thatch? Wipe that grin off of your face."

"Sorry."

* * *

Ace was super excited. He was going on a beach trip with Marco's family! He hadn't actually been to the beach in a long time, well at least not for fun and stuff (he, Sabo, and Luffy used to fish near the shores), yet there was still a small voice nagging to him the corner of his head.

He didn't know how to swim.

What would Marco even think of him? No doubt he would be beyond embarrassed that his boyfriend couldn't swim. Ace didn't even want to imagine what he would say!

"Hey, freckle face!" Haruta called, waving her hand in front of Ace's face in an attempt to get his attention. "Is there something wrong?"

Ace had almost forgotten that she was there. She was supposed to bring him to the house to meet up with everyone after he prepared his things. Marco would have done it, but unfortunately, he had been too busy with work to prepare his own stuff before.

"Hello?"

Ace snapped out of his thinking. "No! Nothing's wrong, Haruta!" he insisted.

"Don't lie to me, Ace," she said. "I know you."

Of course. Ace couldn't blame this on women's intuition or anything like that (Haruta had none of that), but rather, Haruta had met him when he was in a dark part of his life. It was only logical she would know something was wrong.

"It's about Marco," he admitted. "I don't want to embarrass him."

"Why in the world would you even think that?"

He gulped. Well, might as well come out with it, right? "I... I can't swim." Great. Now Haruta would know how pathetic he was too.

But to Ace's surprise, Haruta didn't make fun of him at all. She just rolled her eyes. "That's it?" She asked. "You're overreacting."

"I am _not_ overreacting!" Ace insisted.

"Yeah. Yeah," Haruta snorted. "Don't worry. Marco won't care about that. Trust me."

"You don't know that," Ace grumbled.

"Yeah I do. He's my brother. Now pack and you'll get to see Marco soon enough."

* * *

And so, against the better judgements of their friends/siblings (who were all currently riding in the same car as them), Marco and Ace refused to inform each other of their inner turmoil, which unknowingly was the same exact thing. One thing led to another and they arrived at the sunny and beautiful shores of the beach in no time at all with problem still weighing on their shoulders.

Thatch and Haruta leaped out of the car immediately, grabbing some towels and bags. "C'mon, guys!" Thatch yelled. "We gotta beat everyone to the water!"

Marco sighed. What was he even worrying about? They had been the first ones to arrive, though the others probably weren't far behind. Besides, he didn't even want to go near the water because that would mean Ace would find out that he couldn't swim. Izo seemed to agree with him about the excitement, but Ace was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to care.

"Well, you two," Izo addressed, catching their attentions. He opened the trunk and started to take some more things they packed out. "We should catch up to them. Who knows what they'll do?"

By the time they found a comfortable spot in the sand, Thatch and Haruta were already splashing around in the water. The others had arrived too, but they chose to take their time. Whitebeard was already ready to go, Stefan bounding happily behind him. Before they knew it, everyone had joined Thatch and Haruta in the water, or Whitebeard on his walk with Stefan. Izo was the last to leave.

"You two should really try and do something," he suggested. "And really. Take off your shirts. It's the beach! But remember to put on sunscreen." In all honesty, his parting words hadn't been helpful at all, but Marco knew he was pushing him to try and spill.

Izo had a point though, is what Ace was thinking. He had just removed his shirt, but there was a slight nervousness in his stomach about what Marco would think about his swimsuit. He felt stupid since this was something girls would be worried about. But then again, there was the matter of the sunscreen. He clutched the bottle of sunblock lightly in his hand and kneeled, leaning closer to Marco. "M-Marco," he muttered.

Marco looked towards Ace and his eyes widened on sight. Ace's swim shorts were rather hugging, so he couldn't help exploring that bare torso and perfect ass with his eyes. "Can you help me with this?" Ace asked, holding the bottle up.

Marco had to make sure he wasn't drooling. Just thinking about touching that hot body was absolutely arousing. He wasn't sure if he could handle it, but if that's what Ace wanted then he would do it. "Of course, yoi," he replied, quickly swallowing the nervousness in his throat and moving to sit behind his boyfriend. He took the bottle from Ace, glad that his hands weren't shaking, and squeezed some sunblock onto his hands. Gently, he started to run his hands over Ace's muscular back.

Ace, on the other hand, was trying not to shiver under Marco's touch. Even though it was something as simple as applying sunscreen, he still loved how Marco was doing things. He made sure that he got every single spot that could possibly be burned. And he wanted to do the same for Marco too.

"Thanks, Marco!" he cheered, turning to face him. "Um, do you want me to…?"

Ace wasn't expecting Marco to blush bright red. Panic shot through him. Did he do something wrong? "Never mind! I didn't want to make you uncomfor-"

Marco shook his head hastily. "You would never do that, yoi!" he insisted. He pulled his shirt off, much to Ace's surprise. "Go ahead if you still want," he said, offering up the bottle.

Ace thought that he nodded almost too eagerly as he took the bottle from Marco's hand and squeezed some sunscreen on his own. He had seen Marco this way in photosets before, but the real thing was just overwhelming. They shifted positions so that Ace was able to reach Marco easier now, but he wasn't quite sure how he should start. His mind had gone blank when Marco had removed his shirt, and all thoughts of following the same patter he had flew out the window. His shaking hands would've just made things clumsy and awkward. But he had to start sometime, and he supposed that he would start with Marco's back.

Marco could feel that Ace's hands were shaking as they applied sunscreen onto his smooth skin. He didn't know that touching him would make Ace so nervous. Normally, he would have taken the opportunity to tease Ace in order to see his adorably flustered face, but now didn't seem like the time. He was also proud that Ace was able to do it despite being so shy about it too. Ace was rather thorough, and that was a caring gesture in it of itself.

When he was finished though, they were both faced with another problem: what to do now.

Marco thought that maybe would be a good time to fess up. It's not like they were about to join Pops on his walk, and swimming as out of the question for him. What would he do if Ace said he wanted to swim?

Then a new interruption came in the form of _a witch_ (well, if you asked Marco, that is).

Marco wasn't blind. He saw what Haruta was holding in her hand, and he knew that she was about to hand it over to Ace just to mess with him.

"Here, Ace!" She grinned, handing over the pineapple-flavored popsicle.

Ace eyes lit up as he took it from her. "Seriously? Thanks!"

Haruta stuck her tongue out at Marco as she walked away, but she also gave him a look that urged him to just 'tell Ace already, you moron'. Marco just glared at her as retaliation.

"Why didn't she give you one?" Ace questioned, causing Marco to look at him again. Looking caused an immeasurable heat to rush to his cheeks. He thought blood was going to burst from his nose, but thankfully, he had more self-control than that.

Though it was hard watching Ace just lick and suck up and down the popsicle like that. Haruta knew exactly what she was doing. Damn her. She would pay.

Ace was worried now because Marco had looked away soon after seeing him. Was he mad that he didn't get a popsicle too? "Do you want some?" he asked, holding out the tasty treat.

"I-it's fine, yoi!" Marco stuttered, confusing Ace even more. "Just enjoy your treat!"

Deciding to follow those words, Ace devoured the delicious popsicle, but he still felt bad. These thoughts were soon forgotten when Thatch approached.

"Yo, Ace!" he called. "C'mon! Join us in the water!"

Ace felt the blood drain from his face. It all came down to this, didn't it? Haruta wasn't there to save him now. "No! I'm fine!" he denied almost too fast.

Unbeknownst to him, Marco was also mentally panicking. Now he would have to join Ace in the water and ultimately humiliate himself. There was no way Thatch would just let them stay there at the beach towels, even when they refused to go.

"Oi! Put me down, asshole!" Ace barked, breaking Marco out of his thoughts.

When he was busy thinking, Thatch had hoisted Ace onto one of his shoulders. His siblings just wanted to do stuff to piss him off today, didn't they?

He immediately rushed after them. "Hey! Get back here, yoi!" Thatch was pretty fast, so Marco didn't catch up to him until they reached the water. Ace looked rather unpleased, but that was just an understatement.

There was nothing Ace could do now, he thought as he looked down at the water below him. Haruta was the only one here that knew he couldn't swim, and if he wanted Thatch to stop, then he would have to say it.

"Help, Marco!" he cried. "I- I can't swim!"

He was so embarrassed that he was finally admitting it, but it was enough to stop Thatch from running further into the water.

Marco stopped chasing after them as well. "Really?" they asked simultaneously.

Ace nodded.

"Er, sorry about that!" Thatch laughed guiltily. He carefully took Ace off his shoulders and deposited him into Marco's arms bridal style.

"Hey! Don't just carry me around like that!" Though Ace couldn't exactly complain as he wrapped his arms around Marco's neck to support himself.

"I didn't mean it! I was just trying to get Marco into the water because, well…" he trailed off. "He'll probably tell you about _that._ Talk to you guys later." He waded through the water towards the others with a wave.

"What is he talking about?" Ace asked as Marco carried him away from the water.

Marco sighed. Thankfully, they had been in the shallow part, so he was able to handle it. "What he was saying, Ace," he started, "is that I can't swim either."

That statement came as a huge relief to Ace. He embraced Marco tighter, and for that moment, he didn't care about being carried in such an embarrassing position. "We have something else in common, Marco!" he giggled. "Haruta was right. I should've just told you."

"Izo and Thatch wanted me to tell you as well, yoi," Marco admitted, accepting Ace's warm and loving hug.

"Maybe we can take some swimming lessons together sometime," Ace mused.

"Knowing my family, they would probably offer to 'help,'" Marco commented dryly. "But that sounds lovely, Ace."

"What do we do now?"

Marco grinned mischievously. Of course, he had his fun side every now and then, so he decided to dip Ace dangerously close to the water, causing a squeak

"Oi!" Ace yelped, swinging himself out of Marco's arms. He reached into the seawater, splashing it upwards.

"Are you sure you want do this?" Marco chuckled, but he only received another faceful of water as a response. "You asked for it, yoi!" he growled playfully, reaching down to splash Ace, who was laughing joyously.

They spent the rest of the afternoon just having fun together and everyone else. There was still so much to do: like eating the food, catching up to Pops on his walk, and playing a family wide tournament of beach volleyball. Not being able to swim wasn't going to stop Marco and Ace from enjoying their trip. And just spending time together was one of the best feelings in the world to them.

* * *

**So what do you guys think? I tried to put silly, fanservice-y MarcoAce moments in there. It is the beach after all.**

**Please review and leave more suggestions!**


	20. Little Surprises

**A/N: Okay! Explanation time:**

**For those of you who actually follow my other works, you already know this, but I was working on my other story "The Anomaly of Ace" for pretty much all of July (which was when I got back after being gone for two weeks), so I didn't have much time to work on this. Then August, I was working on my Reverse Bang story (which is up on AO3), and again, I didn't really have time. Now I've started school, and the year I'm in has a much heavier workload than previous years.**

**Anyways, it really was not my intention to leave this for two/three months. I apologize.**

**And about this chapter, very minor ShanksMakino. Like it will probably never be relevant again.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Marco liked to surprise Ace. It started when he had first shown up on Ace's doorstep all those months ago. That had been one of the best decisions of his life. Another one of his big decisions was his declaration of love. Ace had been so happy when Marco had shown up to his graduation, making Marco happy in return.

Ace always managed to surprise Marco too. He was an eccentric and energetic individual. He loved giving small kisses out of the blue. He loved visiting Marco at work without warning (though Marco had to keep watch over him there). He loved finding the perfect gift for him.

But _this_ defied all of Marco's expectations.

He had just shown up on Ace's doorstep, ready for their dinner date. He brought flowers, the same kind of roses he gave Ace on their first real date. He was planning to bring Ace somewhere special. The field was a perfect place for a picnic and he had some of Ace favorite foods in the car. All of this was in preparation to ask Ace one question.

Unfortunately, this surprise had thrown a wrench in his plans.

A baby. Ace was holding a baby.

It looked so small in his arms, clothed in a yellow onesie with tufts of red hair growing on its head. Tiny arms were poking out, gripping the collar of Ace's shirt as he held it in his arms. It cooed and smiled happily.

"Er- oh. Hi, Marco," Ace greeted awkwardly, fully aware of his situation. His raven hair was slightly messy, giving the impression of exhaustion. It actually looked quite sexy considering other times Ace would have looked that way. Marco held his urge to take Ace's lips with his own. There was a child, a _baby_, in front of him after all. No funny business.

"Ace," he started. "What-"

"I know what this might look like, Marco! But I swear he isn't mine!" Ace insisted. "I would never cheat on you with a girl and I-"

Marco chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Ace demanded in a hushed tone, trying not to upset the baby.

"I never assumed that, Ace." Ace tended to jump to conclusions. It was just part of his fiery personality. "You were a virgin. Remember~?"

"Shut up."

Marco was smiling, but admittedly, it was somewhat fake. He didn't hate children, but this was a big night for him. He wasn't usually nervous, but he had prepared himself, both physically and mentally, for this moment. If Ace couldn't come, then this would have been all for nothing.

"Are your brothers home, yoi?" He asked, trying to be subtle.

Ace shook his head. "I know what you're probably thinking, but I can't go on our date tonight, Marco. Sorry you had to find out like this."

Marco sighed. It looked like he would have to go home for the evening. He was so ready too.

And then the baby giggled.

No. It was an outright laugh: one that made Ace's expression soften in the most adorable way. He smiled at the child and adjusted his arms to carry it more comfortably. The baby reached out with its tiny hands and grabbed Ace's nose, causing the freckled teen to laugh as well.

Oh hell no. Marco was _not_ about to lose his boyfriend's heartwarming affection to a _baby._

Still, there was one way to salvage this date. It would involve a decision that he may regret later. So he impulsively he asked, "Would you like me to help?"

Ace turned back towards Marco, smile still upon his face. "Really?" He seemed eager for help. And Marco's company.

"Of course, yoi. I still want to be with you tonight."

"You can be so cheesy sometimes."

"You like it though. Don't you?"

"Just come inside already."

* * *

Marco didn't know the first thing about babies, and for this reason he was cursing himself. He had only come to the realization once he had retrieved the food from his car, and by the time that happened, it was too late. He wasn't about to drive away when he promised Ace that he would stay. All he could do was hope that Ace wasn't expecting much, though he'd try and help as best as he could.

He set the food down on the table, Ace eyeing the selection of his favorite foods. He grinned at Marco gratefully. "Wow. You sure went all out. What's all this for?"

"Maybe you'll find out, maybe you won't, yoi." Though the latter may be closer to the truth. The whole babysitting thing ruined his nerve.

Ace laughed. "Like Luffy would say, 'It's a mystery!'"

"I guess so," Marco shrugged, walking over to the cabinets to get some plates.

"Thanks anyways, Marco. I'd hug you, but I'm holding a baby."

That comment irked Marco. He didn't let it show as he set the tableware down.

"You don't know how much this means to me! Come to think of it," Ace mused, "you probably know a lot about babies. Right?"

_'Shit.'_

"What makes you say that?" Marco asked, still trying to keep a straight face.

"Well, you _are _the oldest out of all your siblings."

Well, all of them had been adopted when they were older, but Ace didn't need to know that. What he needed was Marco's company.

"So," Marco started, hoping to change the subject, "Who is this kid?"

"Oh right," Ace said as if he just came to the realization. "I never really explained it to you." Ace faced the baby towards Marco. "This is Makino's son Roger."

Marco could have sworn that Ace frowned for a second when saying the baby's name.

"She lives in Foosha, but she's visiting her husband in the city," Ace explained. "They're on a date right now, so I'm babysitting."

Marco nodded in understanding. He recognized the name Makino from when Ace told him about his childhood. From what he heard, this woman lived apart from her husband. It was perfectly understandable that she would want to spend some private time with him. He didn't blame her in the slightest. But still... Out of all nights...

"Speaking of dates, let's eat!" Ace exclaimed, baby Roger laughing along cheerily. "I need to feed him first, so just give me second."

Without warning, he held the baby out to Marco, who panicked internally. Not wanting Ace to be suspicious, he adjusted his hands the way Ace had his own and took the child, who beamed at him.

Marco had to admit that it was pretty cute.

Ace opened the fridge door and Marco saw that there were a few jars of baby food sitting on one of the shelves. Wait a minute. Was that...

"Pineapple baby food? Really, Ace?"

He shrugged. "Hey. _I _didn't buy it."

The child seemed to find Marco's annoyance amusing. He giggled and pointed at Marco's hair. "Pie abble!"

There was no mistaking what bay Roger was trying to say. Marco felt his eye twitch. Suddenly, the baby wasn't as cute as he was earlier.

"I think he likes you, Marco!" Ace chimed, unscrewing the lid of the jar and grabbing a small, plastic spoon. "Am I going to have to compete for your affections?"

_'If only you knew, yoi.'_

The way Ace fed the baby didn't make anything better. He was gentle and used little phrases to get the kid to open up his mouth. _'Where did Ace learn to be so good with kids?'_ Marco thought.

"Hello?" Ace asked, waving a hand in front of Marco's face. "Earth to Marco."

Marco blushed. He must have zoned out because Ace had finished feeding Roger. The baby was now sitting on the carpeted floor of the living room, playing with some blocks.

"We can eat now. Right?"

"A-alright, yoi."

The sat across from each other as they always did when they were alone (they preferred to sit next to each other when eating with their friends and family). Ace was definitely pleased with the selection of food. He kept beaming at Marco as he inhaled the meal. Marco was also genuinely happy. With the child distracted, they were able to eat in peace. "Are you gonna tell me what this was for _now_?" Ace asked once they were washing the dishes.

While he could answer Ace's question with his own (the one he had been preparing for weeks), it would seem too random. The atmosphere was not right, not like he had planned.

"Marco," Ace called, leaning over to him.

"Are you trying to convince me, Ace?"

He hummed softly, pressing his lips up into Marco's. Now this was what they needed. Marco kissed back, trailing his fingers down Ace's side. A small noise emerged from the back of Ace's throat and he thrust his still soapy hands around Marco's neck.

Then a sharp cry rang through the air.

Ace immediately broke from the kiss and rushed back to the living room, leaving Marco with disappointment. Marco followed to find that the child had fell over, and Ace had picked him up, bouncing him up and down to hush his cries.

"You're fine," he whispered. He started contorting his face to cheer baby Roger up. The baby's cries died down and another happy smile broke out on his face. "There. See?"

Marco just leaned against the wall, observing the scene. "You're really good with kids, yoi," he commented.

"Really? Thanks," Ace replied. "I used to babysit when I was in school. Lu was a big crybaby too, but I wasn't good then."

No wonder. Ace didn't seem like the type to be caring and nourishing, but Marco loved it. It was rather cute.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"No reason."

"Whatever," Ace sighed. "Anyways, let's watch a movie!"

After about ten minutes, they had settled on the couch, baby Roger cradled in Ace's arms. They had to watch a children's movie, but Marco was hardly paying attention. He opted to stare at Ace, who looked content holding the kid.

The question left his lips without him realizing it.

"What do you think about having kids, yoi?"

Ace turned to him in shock. "W-what?" he gasped. The movie continued to play.

"Er-well," Marco sputtered. He usually never said impulsive things like this. "In the future, I mean. Adoption."

Ace was quiet. Marco understood. After all, the question he asked was very heavy.

"You just looked so happy that I-"

"I'm not sure," Ace confessed.

Honestly, Marco wasn't shocked. The question was sudden after all. He cursed internally for being so impulsive. He wished that he hadn't made Ace so uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Ace had already continued speaking.

"I mean, I don't think little kids are so bad, but actually being a parent would be completely different," Ace said. "I can't tell you why, but I really don't think I'd be the best parent. I'd probably be a kickass uncle though," he added with a grin, thinking about his brothers. "But who knows what'll happen in the future? I think I'll be happy as long as we can explore the possibilities together."

Those last few words blew the guilt out of Marco's heart with overwhelming warmth. "Together?"

Ace blushed, nonsense words sputtering out of his mouth. "A-anyways, aren't you skipping a few steps?"

Marco smirked. "If you're expecting me to ask you _that_ when you're expecting it, then you're wrong, yoi."

"What if I ask you first?"

"We'll see."

The baby laughed again at their banter. Ace grinned. Marco did too. The kid was not bad at all.

Ace balanced baby Roger in his lap and stretched his arms and yawned. "Can you him for a second?" he asked. "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Of course," Marco answered. He took the child, who also yawned, into his lap.

Ace had been in the bathroom for a few minutes when the kid turned in Marco's lap and grabbed at his shirt. Marco smiled down at him. "You're not so bad, brat." Thankfully, the kid would have no idea what the word meant (even though it was more of an affectionate term for Marco). Suddenly, he yawned himself, silently cursing the contagiousness of the action. He found himself drifting off, but he was comfortable. He allowed it to happen, securing his arms around the baby safely.

This was the scene Ace returned to. The baby had fallen asleep too and both of them were snoring softly. The freckled teen couldn't help the smile that broke out across his face. Marco looked so vulnerable and content, traits that usually only Ace was able to see. He crawled back to his position on the couch and snuggled up next to him. With the movie playing in the background, he dozed off as well.

* * *

Ace woke up to the sound of the doorbell. He got up and scrambled to the door. When he opened the door he was greeted with the faces of Makino and her husband. "Hey, Ace!" Shanks greeted. "How's my kid?"

"Hey, Shanks. Hey, Makino. He's fine. Asleep."

Makino smiled at him. "Thank you again, Ace. It's nice to have an evening with just the two of us."

"Don't worry about it you lovebirds!" Ace grinned.

"Ace," Marco called. He walked into the foyer, holding baby Roger in his arms."

"Oh, Marco," Ace said. "Makino, Shanks, this is my boyfriend."

And suddenly- "Dahaha! Marco?" Shanks laughed. "_You're _Ace's boyfriend?!"

"Now, Shanks," Makino scolded.

Marco scowled. "Akagami."

"You know each other?!" Ace exclaimed.

"Sure! I know the old man."

"You mean Pops?"

"You too?" he mused. "I guess you're a part of their family now. Huh?"

"Why are you wiggling your eyebrows at me?"

Marco sighed. "Just ignore him, yoi."

"Anyway!" Makino interjected. "Thank you as well for taking care of our son."

"No problem," he nodded, handing her the baby. "It's nice to meet you.

"It's nice to meet you too, Marco."

"I'll get your things," Ace said. He headed back into the house and Marco followed to help.

"Makino seems like a nice person," Marco commented.

"She's very motherly," Ace responded. "She took care of us sometimes."

"Motherly like you?"

"Meany."

They gathered the baby supplies and placed them in a tote bag, which they handed to Makino and Shanks as they said their farewells. They were finally alone.

"So..." Ace smiled. "Children. Huh?"

"Yes?"

"How 'bout we go 'make some kids' of our own?"

Marco knew Ace didn't mean anything serious by that, but the innuendo was ridiculous enough to make him roll his eyes. "Don't you think it's a little late?"

Ace responded with a kiss: one that Marco had no desire to break. They stayed like that as they made their way to Ace's room, hands dragging over each other's bodies.

Oh well. He would ask Ace to move in with him another time.

* * *

**So this has been written for a while, but I was a bit reluctant to publish it. Well, it's done now.**

**So, I have a few ideas in the works for this story, but I want to know if there is anything you guys would like to see.**

**It would also help if you guys would check out my other story, "The Anomaly of Ace"!**

**Please review!**


	21. Vampire

**A/N: Okay, everyone! I know I didn't do one for Marco's birthday this year, but this one is Halloween themed! There is a mention of an event that hasn't been posted yet (it's rather obvious), but I'm working on it! There will also be a smut part of this posted later, so look at for that.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"Thatch! I'm heading out!"

"Okay! Be back in time for your next shift!"

"Sure, sure!" Ace called, but he grinned mischievously to himself. It's not as if he was making any guarantees after all. Even though Thatch could still fire him, Ace wasn't worried today. He had asked special permission to surprise Marco with a nice lunch. He would be excited to see Ace, and besides, they all loved Thatch's cooking.

The walk to Marco's building was rather refreshing. He took this walk often now, but Ace had always loved walking, and the anticipation of seeing Marco definitely helped. He picked up the pacing of his steps, still mindful of the bag he was carrying. He didn't want any of the delicious meal that Thatch had prepared to be ruined, but it would get cold if he didn't hurry. He was pretty sure that they had a microwave over there for breaks and stuff, but how great would it be if he arrived with a hot meal for Marco?

When he reached the familiar building, he strolled through the door with ease, giving a bright smile to the receptionist, who nodded in acknowledgement. They were quite used to him here ever since his and Marco's relationship had gone public. He was able to come and go freely now after he had been given his own visitor's pass.

Ace was practically bouncing on his heels as he ascended in the cushioned elevator. Even though he visited much more often, he never tired of seeing how Marco's face lit up in surprise when he entered the studio.

And that was exactly what he was expecting when he entered; however, he was the one who was caught off guard.

How could he forget what month it was? Of course the agency was doing a sexy Halloween shoot, and of course Marco was the one who was having his picture taken right now!

Seeing Marco work his modeling magic always had an effect on Ace, but right now, Marco was amazingly overwhelming. Who wouldn't think that the sight in front of Ace was _hot?_ Marco was wearing nothing but leather pants that showed off _everything_, a leather jacket slung over his shoulder. The tattoo that Ace loved so much was exposed deliciously, even though it would be edited out later, but that only made things better. That tattoo was something personal, something private.

On top of all that, Marco appeared to be wearing blood-red color contacts, and his mouth was parted ever so slightly to reveal a set of extremely realistic fangs.

So Marco was a vampire. A sexy vampire. Ace mentally cursed, feeling his shorts get tighter.

For a second, he could've sworn that those red eyes flickered towards him, Marco smirking to expose those fangs even more. He had known exactly what he was doing, damn it!

"Alright, everyone! Break time!" the director shouted out. "Please try and be careful with your makeup and such!" The camera crew and the other models broke out of their positions, and she turned to wave and wink at Ace, who smiled back.

"Hey, yoi," Marco greeted when he walked up to Ace, grabbing him by the waist.

"Hey, yourself," Ace muttered as Marco's lips touched his cheeks, trying to hide his flustered expression. It didn't help when someone wolf-whistled jokingly- not that he was succeeding in disguising his blush in the first place.

"Like what you see then?" Marco chuckled.

"Do you even have to ask?" Ace retaliated, slightly pouting. "You're such a tease."

"But you love it."

Ace didn't say anything. Marco would've known if he lied anyways.

"Come with me, yoi," Marco said, holding Ace's hand. With that, he began to lead Ace towards his dressing room. The privacy would be a sigh of relief.

"So you brought me lunch?" Marco took the bag out of Ace's hands, setting it down on the coffee table in front of the couch in the corner. "Thank you. It smells delicious. Still warm too."

"You're welcome!" Ace piped, happy to have received Marco's praise. "Fresh out of the kitchen! Well, as fresh as it can be," he added.

"You must've gotten here fast then," Marco noted, amusement evident in his tone. But the words he said next shot Ace's mood in the other direction. "I'm afraid I can't eat it yet, though."

Hearing those words, Ace frowned. "Why not?" he asked in disappointment.

Marco parted his lips again, tongue quickly lashing out over his teeth. "Can't ruin the fangs, yoi."

"Oh," Ace said, nodding in understanding, but he looked away from Marco, deciding that the floor was much more fascinating at the current moment instead. He felt a bit silly now after coming all this way to deliver a meal Marco couldn't even eat.

"Don't worry," Marco comforted though, sliding onto the couch beside Ace. "I ate a big breakfast, so I'll be fine until I get off of work. We can eat together later," he continued.

"Okay," Ace sighed in acceptance. "I just thought it would be nice if I could bring a hot meal for you to eat. You know, since we only really get to have lunch together on the weekend?"

"You succeeded though, yoi."

"Yeah, but we still can't eat together," Ace pointed out, pouting at the end of his sentence. Looks like he would have to wait for next week, considering that it was already Thursday and he would be at the daycare tomorrow.

"Oh? You misunderstand me then." Ace's gloomy thoughts were interrupted by Marco's suddenly smug words. Before he could turn to look at him, he found himself pinned against the couch, Marco's lips ghosting over his neck.

"M-Marco?" he stuttered out

"Bring me a hot meal?" Marco whispered huskily, making Ace shiver helplessly under the now red eyes. "You're here, aren't you, yoi?"

Immediately after he finished speaking, Marco latched his lips onto Ace's neck, sucking gently and making Ace gasp out. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Well, _I am _supposed to be vampire," Marco hissed, nipping at Ace's neck.

"Well, y-you're getting way too into it," Ace breathily countered.

"W-wait, Marco," he protested after he noticed that Marco showed no signs of stopping. "I still have to get back to work." But he couldn't find it in himself to put any effort into resisting. Feeling Marco's lips against his neck, the fangs poking at his skin, was little by little draining him of his will. It didn't help that Marco had nudged a leg between his own, and was sliding Ace's shirt up with his hand.

"Thatch won't say anything." Marco paused to deliver another kiss to Ace, this time over his ear. "He still owes us money from the last time he broke some equipment. Not that anyone really minds."

Marco was making a _very_ convincing argument. They had time, right? Especially if Marco went quick and hard, and-

"Ah! Marco!"

* * *

Ace was pretty sure that his face was fire red when they left the dressing room, his hair slightly tousled and clothes wrinkled. Despite their activity, Marco still looked as perfect as ever, hair still falling into his pineapple hairstyle with every strand in place.

Well, at least they had spent some time together.

"You'll be fine until dinner, right?"

"I will, yoi," Marco reconfirmed, quickly placing a kiss on Ace's nose.

"Hey!" Ace laughed. "If you're going to kiss me, do it properly!"

"Of course," Marco chuckled and briefly took Ace's hand to place a kiss there, ignoring the whine that escaped Ace's lips before he finally claimed them. Ace smiled into the kiss, moving his hands up to the back of Marco's neck.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable!" someone exclaimed. They jumped a part, remembering that they were in the dressing room hall for anyone to see.

"Miss Director," Marco acknowledged, Ace muttering a quiet hello.

"It's nice to see you here, Ace!" she cheered.

"Nice to see you," Ace said, mustering up another smile after his embarrassment subsided.

"So, anyways, I'll cut right to the chase then," she stated, catching both Marco's and Ace's attentions. "Would you mind modeling for a few photos today?"

Ace tilted his head in confusion. He had modeled before, but why would she bring something like this up now? They didn't need someone to fill in again, did they? "I have to get back to work soon. Why?"

Marco didn't look all too pleased either, but he remained silent.

The Director winked at them. "Well, I had the best idea over lunch break, and you guys are giving off the perfect type of energy we need!" she chirped enthusiastically, but Ace felt heat flare up in his cheeks once again. He knew exactly the type of energy she was speaking of: _sexual energy._

She turned, addressing Marco now. "He'll be with you the whole time," she mentioned, and suddenly, Marco's eyes turned almost predatory, his earlier reluctance transformed into an all-too-eager lust. The look Marco gave him in that moment was one that Ace couldn't resist.

He swallowed, trying not to stutter. "I'll call Thatch."

* * *

Luckily for them, Ace was able to find someone to cover his shift. Before he knew it, he found himself shoved into a pair of no doubt expensive jeans. The Director had decided to leave him without a shirt, and Marco had no problem agreeing with her.

Ace was currently sitting in front of the makeup artists, who were applying proper foundation to his face. It surprised him when one of them stopped to giggle, and Ace realized that she was staring at his neck; the same neck that Marco had been eagerly attached to earlier, no doubt leaving a mark. Realizing this, he blushed as the lady leaned closer, dusting her brush over the mark. They said nothing to each other, but Ace could practically hear teasing words.

"Places, people!"

Suddenly, he found himself back on set, Marco waiting for him.

"Are you ready, yoi?" he asked. "Don't worry about anything. I'll be here to guide you through it."

Ace nodded, albeit hesitantly. "It's a little weird to be doing this again, but I guess I'm ready."

"That's good then. Come with me."

Soon after those words were spoken, Ace found himself draped over Marco's lap, sputtering nonsense words in embarrassment.

Marco chuckled, adjusting Ace ever so slightly so he could whisper in his ear. "Relax, Ace," he said. "Just go limp in my arms. Pretend you're sleeping."

"What? Why?" Being in such a position, it was impossible not to be at least a bit flustered! Especially in front of so many people!

"Well, _you are _my prey, aren't you?" Marco replied smugly.

Ace knew that trying to retaliate would not work, and in a way, Marco was right. Somehow, being referred to in that manner was intoxicating. He obeyed Marco's earlier command, letting his head drape over the side of the armchair they were in. He closed his eyes too and let his limbs slowly go limp. It was strange being in such a vulnerable position, but the warmth of Marco's arms helped him relax. He felt Marco shift slightly, legs crossing from underneath him.

"Perfect!" Ace heard the Director shout, and soon after, the camera's started clicking. "Alright! Next shot!"

Before he knew it, he was pressed up against a wall, Marco's fangs skimming his collarbone.

"You're doing so well," Marco encouraged, voice low, and, aware of their location, Ace had to resist a shiver. "Now just close your eyes halfway…"

It was times like this that reminded Ace that Marco was one of the best in the business. The Director only gave him minimal instructions. It seemed that he knew exactly what poses she needed, and he had no problem guiding Ace into every single one. They stopped to change clothes every once in a while, but that was a blur to Ace compared to anything else going on.

Finally, it was over, and he was exhausted. Marco still had a few shots to take with the other models though. Knowing that he was free for the rest of the day, Ace decided that he would wait, collapsing into one of the chairs off the side of the set once he had changed and removed the makeup.

"So how're you doing?" the Director asked out of nowhere, clamping a hand down on Ace's shoulder and almost making him jump.

"Miss Director!" he yelped in surprise. Quickly calming himself, he noticed something strange about the situation. "Erm- Shouldn't you be over there, you know, _directing_?"

"They'll be fine!" she laughed, yet somehow, the fact that she did wasn't very reassuring. "Anyways, I wanted to thank you for doing this. I have a feeling that this next spread will make a big impression!" She winked at the end of her words, knowing that Ace understood exactly what she meant.

After all, it's not every day that people would get to see him and Marco in such racy situations.

"Would you like to see how some of them turned out?" the Director offered.

Honestly, this surprised Ace. The last time he had done this (which had been quite some time ago when he thought about it now), no one had asked him if he had wanted to see the pictures. He guessed that now that he wasn't some seemingly random visitor, they trusted him more ad welcomed him.

The Director gestured for him to follow, and she led him to where a few spare cameras were lying around near a laptop. "They're using a different camera right now, so we can get a good preview of how the ones you took with Marco turned out," she explained. "Of course, we don't do any of the editing here, but it's good to check and be satisfied."

With that, she began to flip through the pictures, and Ace was impressed immediately, even if the pictures hadn't been edited yet.

This had been the first shot they had taken, and Ace looked like Marco's victim, or _prey_, as the other man had put it earlier. Marco's predatory stare into the camera only helped this fact. Despite his poised and proper position with fingers brushing just under his fangs, Marco looked as if he had just finished his _meal_, and he wouldn't mind returning for seconds.

Ace swallowed, nodding for the Director to continue.

The next shot was when Ace had been held against the wall, a look in his eyes that suggested something more than just a predator-prey relationship. With the way his eyes were, he looked as if he was in ecstasy, while Marco was at his neck, turned at just the right angle so he could smirk at the camera.

Ace knew he had been right when he said that Marco had gotten too into the whole "vampire" thing, but all of the shots he was seeing only confirmed it.

"So what do you think?"

The Director's question had snapped him out of his thoughts. "U-um, yeah!" Ace hastily brought out. "They're great!"

He felt warm arms grab him from behind at those words. "Really?" Marco breathed in his ear. "I think they were more than that, yoi. They're _amazing, sexy,"_ he paused to drop his tone even lower and nibble on Ace's ear, "especially since you're there."

Ace almost squeaked out at how publically intimate Marco was getting when he realized something, and upon this realization he spun to face him.

Just as he'd suspected: those blue eyes and returned, and Marco was lacking the fangs as well.

"Oh, are you guys finished already?" The Director stood and yelled out, "Good job today, everyone! We still have other shots to work on, so don't be late tomorrow!"

"I'm ready to go when you are, yoi," Marco said. "Don't worry about the food," he added, holding up the bag.

"Thanks," Ace laughed sheepishly. "I have all my other things already. I should've grabbed it when I was in there." He reached for Marco's free hand, taking it and leading him towards the elevators.

"I wouldn't forget something you brought for me," Marco replied with a smile (the kind that always made Ace's heart melt). "Thank you again for the food."

"It was more than nice to see you as well, yoi," he added once they were behind the closed doors of the elevator. "I'd like another visit like this one."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "So you can fuck me in your dressing room again? Well, even if you're not a 'vampire' anymore, I'm sure I can still deliver on a _meal."_

"And _I_ can still act like one if I wish," Marco whispered, leaning down to flick is tongue over one of the marks he had left earlier.

"Shall we finish this at home?"

"We should pick up some more food from the restaurant, but I think we can squeeze in a round before we eat."

"How about for _dessert_ too?"

"I'm sure everything will be _delicious_."

Those words were a definite 'yes' to Marco, and he couldn't stop himself from taking Ace's lips with his own in another rough kiss.

Honestly, they were both surprised that they had lasted until they reached the apartment.

* * *

**Honestly, I don't even remember where this idea came from.**

**Please review and let me know what you want to see!**


	22. Mistletoe

**A/N: Okay, so this is pretty late, but technically there's 12 days of Christmas! Anyways, since it feels too late to say "Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays", Happy New Year, everyone! And sorry if this is a little lackluster.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It was that time of year again: Christmas.

This time last year, Ace was absolutely miserable. He had been forced to go to that stupid Christmas party because Marco had invited him as a plus one, but their relationship had still been a secret. Because of that, some woman had kissed Marco under some "mistletoe" and almost ruined his Christmas as well as his relationship. Luckily, the day after was perfectly fine, and ice-skating with Marco after leaving the party had been amazingly fun.

Thankfully they didn't have to go that party this year. Instead, the Whitebeard family themselves planned a party for close friends and family, though "family" for them was rather sizeable. At least this time, Ace was excited to go. After all, there was nothing like a party with Marco's family.

However, there was another reason why Ace was so excited. Marco's house was big, and that meant that there were a lot of doorways.

And a lot of doorways meant mistletoe.

Ace was still bitter about what happened last year, but he had been _inspired_ in a way. He had never really been with anyone during the holidays before (last year didn't count), so he had never experienced a mistletoe kiss.

In all honesty, Ace couldn't stop thinking about how romantic it would be, but things would have to be absolutely perfect. That's why he had enlisted Izo's help.

Ace ad spent weeks memorizing which doorways would have mistletoe hanging on them just so he would know exactly where and when he could kiss Marco. The more secluded spots seemed good.

Ace grinned to himself, rubbing his hands in excitement.

"Are you ready to go?" Marco asked as he wrapped his arms around Ace's waist from behind. "We're going to be late if we don't leave now, yoi."

"Of course!" Ace chimed, hoping that he didn't sound overly excited.

Yet Marco still noticed. "Someone's eager," he chuckled. "C'mon. Let's go."

* * *

A party at the Newgate residence was never boring. The house was full of "extended family" as Ace called them. They were Whitebeard's sons and daughters like Izo, Thatch, Haruta, and the rest, but some of them lived elsewhere in the city, or out of town. It was a strange sight to see everyone together (the mansion was unbelievably crowded). Ace was still trying to remember all the names. Though fairly enough, they were still trying to get used to the fact that he was dating Marco.

It was almost hard to maneuver around the family members who had arrived already since the party was already in full swing. Ace hadn't expected anyone to wait for them anyways. Marco pulled him towards the ballroom, where they were expecting Whitebeard to be.

They spotted him almost immediately upon entering, sitting on a throne like structure near the Christmas tree, but of course, this was the Newgate family, and their tree was unlike any other tree. It was a wonder how they were able to get a tree so tall, though decorating it was probably a cinch with Whitebeard's help. Looking at the tree always instilled the Christmas spirit in Ace with its sparkles of red and white ornaments, gold ribbons winding down from the top in a memorizing pattern. Ace's favorite part was top because it looked as if an actual star had been plucked from the sky just for the family.

The feast laid out on the tables was absolutely mouthwatering and Whitebeard would probably understand if Ace stopped to eat, but Marco was still pulling him along, keeping him from temptation.

"Merry Christmas, Pops," they greeted when they arrived in front of the tree. Whitebeard grinned down at them, reaching out to pat them each on the head.

"Are you enjoying yourselves, my sons?" he asked them.

"We just got here, yoi," Marco replied.

The two continued to chat, but Ace's gaze had wandered off. More specifically, he glanced off towards some of the less used doorways, trying to determine if there was some mistletoe hanging at the top of the doorway. He squinted and even leaned over, but unfortunately, his actions caught Whitebeard's attention.

"Looks like Ace is hungry, Marco," he laughed, and Ace blushed. "Go enjoy the food, sons."

"Of course, Pops," Marco chuckled once he saw Ace's blush. "C'mon, Ace. I know you'll love the food."

Ace tried tugging Marco in a different direction. "Shouldn't we go say hi to everyone first?" he asked. He knew there was some mistletoe a few rooms from here.

"Are you feeling okay?" Marco raised an eyebrow.

"I just think it would be polite, you know?"

"They'll understand, yoi," Marco reasoned. "Let's go."

Ace sighed to himself. Attempt one failed, but Marco was right. The food was delicious.

"Merry Christmas!" Thatch sang, waltzing up to Marco and Ace at their table. A Santa hat was planted firmly upon his head. He was always one to be festive, especially since he was the one in charge of the holiday feast. "What did you think?" he asked, gesturing to the multitude of plates laid out in front of Ace.

"It was great!" Ace cheered, licking his lips.

"Thanks, man!" Thatch beamed. "Oh hey, Marco. Did you still need to talk about-"

Quickly, Marco cut him off. "Yeah! Just hang on a second, Ace."

It was now Ace's turn to raise an eyebrow. What could they possibly be talking about?

"Earth to Ace?" Suddenly, someone snapped their fingers in front of him, and Ace 's attention was brought to Izo.

"Oh hey," Ace said, giving a sheepish grin. "Didn't see you there. Merry Christmas."

"And to you as well." Izo shot Ace an unexpected smirk, and Ace got the feeling that this wasn't just about a holiday greeting. "Have you gotten your mistletoe kiss yet?" he questioned. "Or do you need me to remind you where I hung them."

"We just got here!" Ace huffed. "Just give me some time."

"I'm just looking out for you. You'll get your kiss by the end of the night. Promise."

* * *

Halfway through the night, Izo was wrong.

First, Ace tried to go to one of the (hopefully) secluded corners of the mansion, which would be perfect for mistletoe. Sadly, he greatly underestimated how many people would come to this party, and those secluded corners weren't so secluded after all.

Attempt two failed (if you could even call his first few tries actual attempts).

Ace pouted, glaring up at the top of a doorway.

Logically, the next step was to move up a floor. He knew there was some mistletoe on the doorway to one of the balconies.

"Where are we going, Ace?"

"I just wanted see the view!"

Ace pushed the door open to reveal the sparkling lawn that had also been decorated wonderfully. Some of them were pretty cheesy (like the reindeer), but the nice lights would make for a romantic atmosphere.

Ha stopped and turned to Marco, ready to point out the mistletoe hanging above them, but Marco didn't notice as he pushed past Ace to see the view. "This view is always amazing, yoi," Marco commented. "I get why you wanted to see."

Ace pouted, but Marco didn't see. Attempt three (or maybe he should start over?) failed.

Though Marco was right yet again. The view of the lawn was beautiful.

Ace tried several times more (once on every floor above them and another time on the first floor), but he still hadn't kissed Marco yet. It was nearing midnight, but Ace had already passed frustration a long time ago.

"Liar," he growled under his breath when he saw Izo again, who rolled his eyes.

"Just give it time!"

Before he could shoot back a snarky comment, Marco called him. "Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"Come with me, yoi." And Marco led him to the gardens outside.

Ace had been in the gardens several times. The flowers were always planted along with the proper seasons, so they were always in a constant, wondrous bloom. Tonight was no exception, especially with twinkling lights illuminating the path before them.

"Did you enjoy the party?" Marco asked.

Ace didn't want to lie to him- well, not completely anyways. "It was good, for the most part. Better than last year at least. What are we doing out here though?"

But Marco didn't answer quite yet, instead choosing to pull Ace over to a small gazebo.

"I," he started, "wanted to give you a little present before midnight hit." He pulled out a small red box, accentuated with a yellow bow. It had a removable cover for convenience, but it still looked perfectly wrapped.

Ace tilted his head, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Couldn't you have given this to me without taking me here?"

"Just open it."

Ace took the box, holding it out in a flat palm. His mind speculated on what could possibly be in such a small thing as he reached for the lid. Still, he would be happy with whatever Marco gave him. He took a deep breath and opened the present in one motion.

It was something… _green?_ Ace lifted it up out of the box, trying to determine exactly what it was.

And suddenly, Marco swooped in and captured him in a kiss.

Ace gasped when he felt the pressure against him, but he wasn't complaining. He had wanted to kiss Marco all night after all. It was in that moment- as he was closing his eyes- that he processed what his gift really was.

It was mistletoe.

They broke away, Ace staring at Marco with shocked eyes.

"What?" An amused smirk played on Marco's lips. "You think I didn't notice all your attempts, yoi? You're very cute when you pout, you know."

"I'm not cute," Ace muttered as he pouted.

Marco laughed, leaning back down to kiss the pout away. "Did I say cute? I meant adorable."

"Jerk. Why didn't you just say anything?"

"Now, now, Ace," Marco teased, "it's Christmas. I wanted it to be a surprise, and besides, I was already planning to do this. Don't be that way, yoi. Show me that smile."

The corners of Ace's mouth turned upwards slowly, and soon he was beaming up at Marco. "I can't stay mad at you forever," he admitted.

"Of course not," Marco chuckled. "Now why don't we put that mistletoe to good use?"

Ace definitely got the mistletoe kiss he was looking for, and more too. At that moment his phone buzzed with a text from Izo, but he was much too preoccupied with Marco to open it.

'_I told you so,'_ it said.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	23. Finding Closure

**A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating for so long! It's just been pretty hard to get motivated lately. I have some lined up, but I kinda want to write some of the plot points people have been looking forward too. Is there anything you guys would like to see? Let me know!**

**I know this was one many of you have been waiting for...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ace was comfortable with parties, but not parties like this. He had been forced into a suit for the night, and he was pretty sure that the tie around his neck was strangling him. He should've asked Marco to help him with it before he had been whisked off by the press.

Of course Whitebeard would have a party on this scale. From what Ace knew, Pops only really liked to have his family for parties, but apparently this birthday was a milestone of some sort (Ace hadn't really been paying attention to his age). And with a milestone for a man so heavily associated with philanthropy such as Whitebeard, it was almost impossible to keep press away from this event.

Ace was just hoping that he could avoid the press for now, especially since his relationship with Marco was public now. He just wished that Marco was with him and not keeping the press busy. A sigh left his lips as he swirled the champagne in his glass. Marco would scold him later if he drank it, but Ace would have felt rude if he didn't at least accept the drink from the hired waiters.

A sudden tap to his shoulder made ace jump. "Excuse me!" The girl behind him was small, but she had a chirpy voice. Unfortunately, she was also clutching a notepad in her hand, indicating that she was part of the press that Ace had been so eager to avoid. "You're Portgas D. Ace, correct? Sorry, I don't mean to be intrusive."

Marco warned him about talking to the press, and frankly, Ace didn't like doing it either. But she _was_ being rather polite. "Um… yeah."

"Great!" she took his free hand, tugging him over to the nearby table. Ace, baffled, stared at her for a few seconds as she dug around in her purse. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Stella Emerson." She set her phone on the table, tapping the screen a few times to start a recording.

"It's- uh, nice to meet you," Ace said, apprehensively glancing over at the phone. "Did you need something?"

"Well, I'd like to ask you some questions, of course." She flipped open her notepad, clicking the end of her pen a few times. "I'm writing a book about Whitebeard, and I wanted to know your perspective since you're dating his son and all and I want to get a fresh opinion."

Stella continued to blab, but it just faded into white noise to Ace. It was fair that she would want his perspective when she put it that way, though he didn't know how much insight he could actually provide. "I'll try," Ace said before he could stop himself. He swallowed, throat dry.

"Great!" Stella set her pen on the page. "So, first things first, what do you think of Whitebeard?"

Stella's questions started off rather basic, but Ace made sure to stay vague whenever she asked one that was too personal.

"So how often do you come over?"

"What do you know of the charities that Whitebeard donates too?"

"In what ways does Whitebeard inspire you?" Ace tried not to flinch at some of the cheesy questions like that, but it was hard not to.

"Ok!" Stella flipped to yet another fresh page in her notebook. "I'm going to ask you about the past now. Just to see what you think, alright?"

"Sure…?"

"Now…" She quieted, letting her question build up. "What do you know of Whitebeard's past rivalry with Gold Roger?"

When Ace heard that name leave her lipsI, his muscles seized up.

What coincidence this was, and a cruel one at that.

He should've known that _that man's_ name would come up when Stella mentioned the past. Really, it had been if the whole world's eyes had been on both Whitebeard and Roger. A philanthropist versus a famous criminal, con man, everything in between. It had lasted until the man's fall from grace- thank god for that.

"You _do_ know who Gold Roger is, right?" Stella asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I know!" Ace answered. "I- I just zoned out."

"So? The rivalry?"

Ace opened up his mouth to answer, but his throat was too dry.

"Ace." Thankfully, Marco was always there when he needed him.

Stella stood up out of her seat, attentive to who she was speaking to. "Mr. Phoenix! It's nice to meet you! I was just-"

"Interviewing Ace? I saw, but I'm going to need him back for now, yoi." He held his hand out for Ace to take, pulling him into his arms. Marco's warmth was comforting as always. He smiled at Stella. "You understand, right?"

"Of course! I mean I would still like-" She continued to speak even after Marco had whisked Ace away, holding him close.

He led Ace far away from the sounds of the party to one of the many balconies in the mansion. Gently, he removed the glass of champagne from Ace's hand and set it down before he placed a light kiss on the back of Ace's hand. "What were you doing with that?"

Ace shrugged, leaning back on the rail "Just for show, I guess."

Marco chuckled. "Of course it was, yoi. You don't have to put on a show anymore, Ace. It's just us now. Pops gave us permission to leave."

"Aren't the press going to miss you?" Ace grinned teasingly, but the grin was quickly wiped off of his face.

"Not as much as I missed you." Marco started at Ace with eyes of absolute love, squeezing his hand.

To those words. Ace blushed heavily. "Y-you're so cheesy!" Yet he still hugged Marco back, snuggling close.

"Let's go to be, yoi. I'll make you some breakfast in bed before we head back to the apartment tomorrow too. Do you like the sound of that?"

Those words filled Ace with a warm joy. Life with Marco was perfect, wonderful. He loved how Marco could make him relax with just his words and his presence, yet even so, there was still that nagging voice in the back of Ace's mind. It whispered, hissed at him, reminding him of one thing:

_He was the son of a monster._

He hadn't thought about it in a while. Life had been so hectic that he had just pushed it into the back of his mind, and Marco helped him think of other things. Now, that reporter's questions just brought it all back. His mind had filled with memories from his childhood when he was furious and depressed, when he would ask and ask, _"What if Gol D. Roger had a son?"_

The answers were always the same. _Demon child. Kill him. He should have never been born._

Ace felt like he needed to throw up.

"Ace?" Marco's voice brought him back to reality as he stared at Ace in concern. "Is everything alright? Did that girl make you uncomfortable?"

Marco always knew when something was wrong. "I'm just tired, Marco," Ace said. Covering the lie with a smile. "Carry me to bed?"

Marco smiled back, leaning in close to give Ace a kiss. "Anything you want, my love."

Even as he laid next to Marco that night, the gears in Ace's mind were turning. He was certain that he needed to do something. But what?

"_Gramps? I need a favor."_

* * *

Ace knew he should've said something to Marco before he decided to do this, but the less he knew, the better. If he ever found out, he would never love Ace again, and Ace couldn't deal with that heartbreak.

The road rumbled underneath Garp's car, and it didn't take long for them- or at least it seemed that way- to reach their destination:

Impel Down prison.

His heart beat rapidly inside his chest, and he knew it would only get faster. It wouldn't stop any time soon.

The door opened and Ace jumped in his seat. He hadn't realized that they had parked.

"Get out, brat," Garp said. Ace complied, making sure to pull his hood securely over his head in order to hide his face. Garp had warned him about that. _'Absolutely no one must know.'_

Ace followed Garp into the prison, not daring to raise his face. Instead, he watched his footsteps on the ground, one after another. Someone, possibly a guard or the warden, started to speak, but Ace wasn't really listening. It was drowned out by howls and shouts of prisoners.

"And who's that with you?"

"Him? He's one of the new grunts, but he's a shy one."

Anyone could sniff out that obvious lie, but apparently, whoever Garp was talking to was probably just as stupid as he was. And so they continued to walk until they reached the elevator. The doors slid shut and the metal box started to descend.

Ace wasn't sure if they were just moving slowly, or if where they were going was very far down- probably both. As they moved lower and lower, the nausea in Ace's stomach grew. Every fiber of his being was beginning to regret his decision to come here, but it was much too late to back out now. With a loud clunk, they arrived at the lowest floor of Impel Down.

It was much too dark for anyone's liking, and the flickering of the little light that was provided was just plain unsettling. He noticed the lack of windows, which was obvious since they were far underground. But just how far?

'_Run,'_ a voice in his head whispered.

"We've prepared the prisoner. We'll let you have some privacy then."

The man left, leaving Ace trapped in the lowest level with Garp.

"Go on," Garp said, pushing Ace towards one of the rooms in front of them.

Ace wasn't one to be scared, but he couldn't help shaking as he pushed into the room, Garp standing guard outside.

There was a glass wall in the middle of the room, separating the two sides, but it was still clear who was on the other side: his '_father'_, Gol D. Roger.

By all logic he shouldn't have been here. The government reported him dead many years ago. Dead, executed, but those were lies. Information from the biggest criminal in the world was important after all, not that the man had ever cracked.

"Ace," he said. "My son."

"Don't call me that!" Ace snapped. He stayed in front of the door, as far away from Roger as possible.

Roger laughed- an obnoxious sound if you asked Ace. "So what did ya come here for? Wanted to see your old man?"

"Say whatever you want, but you're not my father."

The air in the room grew tense for a moment, but Roger didn't seemed too affected by it. "Fine by me. So what is it?"

Ace's blood was boiling. Sure, he didn't want any meaningful relationship with him, but Roger was just disgustingly casual. Yet he did want to get out of here. He needed to get this over with.

"I just needed closure," he said, cautiously approaching the chair in the middle of the room. Ace still avoided looking at Roger as much as possible. "Just what was your relationship with Whitebeard?"

Once again, Roger just grinned. "That's it?" he asked. Ace glared at him, but he continued. "Brings back memories!"

"We used to drink together all the time!"

Ace raised an eyebrow, though admittedly he could envision it.

"I could drink the old man under the table-" Ace snorted "-though he'll say something different."

Ace didn't believe him anyways.

"We were rivals, pretty much." Roger stopped, almost like he was done, like he was waiting for a response.

At the lack of information, Ace frowned. He came here for closure, but Roger had basically told him nothing.

"That's it?"

"Yep."

"That can't be it!" Ace exclaimed. "You were enemies! You can't just tell me you were drinking buddies or some shit like that!" He came here to find out why they were enemies- to find closure about his blood.

After all, if Whitebeard found out that he was Roger's son, there would be no way that he would let Ace be with Marco anymore. He wouldn't let his family be tainted like that.

"This was a waste of time," he muttered. Ace thought that coming here would help him find some form of closure- that seeing _this man_ behind bars would assuage is self-doubt and his fear that the past still had a hold on him. Instead, he was going to walk away from this all confused.

Why did he even do this?

The door opening behind him broke him out of his thoughts. At first, he thought that it was just Garp telling him to hurry up, but when he saw who was standing in the doorway, his muscles seized up.

"Wh-Whitebeard…"

The room was still rather dark, but Whitebeard's large form was unmistakable. But why was he here?

It must've been fate for him to show up at the same time that Ace was here. Of course he would know that Roger was still alive, even if it was well kept knowledge.

"Ace? I wondered why Garp was here," Whitebeard said, "but I must say that I was not expecting to see you here."

"Oh so you know my son?" Roger asked casually.

"I am _not_ your son!" Ace snapped, but it took a moment for him to process what had just been revealed. Why did this have to happen?

Now Whitebeard knew.

It felt like time was standing still in that moment as Ace hugged himself protectively- as if it would make the consequences disappear. He wished that time really was still and that it would never start again because if it did…

He would never see Marco again.

His body automatically sprinted towards the door, but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. "It's alright, Ace," Whitebeard reassured. Ace didn't know if his heart was calmed, or if he was just too scared to move. "We can talk about this later."

Ace remained in the room as the two men talked, but he wasn't aware of what they were talking about. He was too busy shaking, too busy thinking about Marco.

If he had been listening though, he would of heard Roger say, "Take care of him."

* * *

His awareness only really returned when they left. Ace ended up riding back to the city with Whitebeard. It was rather amusing to see him hunched over in a driver's seat (Ace never envisioned him driving his own car), but it wasn't enough to take his mind off of things.

They pulled up to the front of the mansion, and Ace's mind immediately jumped to the worst case scenario. Whitebeard was about to murder him in the car and then buy him in the front yard or something like that. Maybe his body would leave behind a nice patch of flowers. He might as well accept his fate.

"Sir," he said, head hanging down. Ace knew better than to be casual at this moment. "I know you don't want me around anymore, but can I at least see Marco one last time?"

His heart panged just thinking about it. He thought that he and Marco would be together for the rest of their lives, but it seemed that their love would be ending here. This was his blood's fault. Maybe things would've been better if he had never been born.

"Don't be ridiculous, son. Why would I not want you around?"

Ace snapped his gaze towards Whitebeard, eyes wide.

Whitebeard reached over with a gentle hand as he smiled. "I never cared about your blood, even from the beginning," he said. "Why should the others? You're a part of this family after all."

Ace wasn't aware that he was crying, but when he reached up to touch his cheeks, they were wet. Such simple words, yet they were touching. He had gone out of his way to find closure by seeing _that man,_ but who knew that closure, escape from his blood, was sitting in front of him this entire time? Maybe if he had thought about it more he would've known.

Haruta, Thatch, Izo and the others were his friends.

Luffy and Sabo were his brothers.

Marco was his love.

And Whitebeard? He had been Ace's father all along.

"Things must've been hard for you, but you can let us know when something's wrong from now on."

Ace pulled a smile together, wiping his tears away. "Th-thank you, Pops."

"Good. Now let's head inside. I think that you and Marco need a moment of privacy."

* * *

Marco, who had been running around like a headless chicken when Ace left without telling him, had been waiting at the mansion instead of their apartment. He rushed up to Ace when they entered, hugging him tight.

"Don't you scare me like that again, yoi," he whispered once they were in the safety of Marco's old room.

Ace hugged him tight. "I just needed to take care of something."

"What was it, Ace?" Marco asked. "You can tell me."

Ace took a deep breath. All of this didn't happen for him to run away now. "Can you sit down with me, Marco?" Marco nodded, but the look in his half-lidded eyes showed uncertainty.

"I need to tell you something. Something I should've told you a long time ago."

"You're shaking, Ace," Marco said, squeezing Ace's hand tight. "It'll be alright."

The gesture was rather reassuring. Marco always knew the right things to say.

"Do you remember what that reporter was asking me about at Pops's party?"

"Yeah, she was asking you about Gold Roger." His eyes widened when he realized what Ace said. "You just said Pops."

A nervous laugh escaped Ace. "Um, yeah. There's a good reason for that."

"Pops, he kind helped me come to terms with it all. Ah, you see…"

"I'm Roger's son."

The words were still disgusting on his tongue, but the silence was what worried Ace the most.

"That's all?" Marco finally said. Ace couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief, especially when Marco pulled him into a tight embrace. "I thought it would something bad. Life-threatening, yoi. Don't scare me like that again."

"I really do worry you a lot, don't I?" Ace mused, returning the warm hug. Marco's arms around him couldn't be more perfect in this moment. "I'm so glad. I'm so glad you don't hate me for it."

"Why would I?" Marco said. "You're the love of my life, Ace. I don't care that Roger was your dad. That would never change how much I love you. There's too much to love."

"Oh? And what do you love so much about me?"

"Well…"

The list seemed to go on and on, and Ace couldn't stop smiling. What was he so worried about? All those worries about his blood felt so far away now.

"Thank you for loving me," he whispered as he and Marco fell asleep that night.

* * *

**I really hope that this wasn't underwhelming or something like that.**

**Please review!**


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